Mr. Müller is sitting in the doctor's office and curiously asks his doctor: "I would like a full blood count - just to check everything!" The doctor smiles understandingly and answers: "Do you mean a full blood count or a comprehensive blood analysis?" In fact, many people think that a "full blood count" is a complete examination of all possible blood values ​​- but this is a misunderstanding.

What is a complete blood count really?

The doctor explains to Mr. Müller that the complete blood count is a laboratory test that focuses on the cells in the blood. It consists of two parts:

1. The complete blood count , which examines the most important blood cells:
   • Red blood cells (erythrocytes) : Responsible for oxygen transport. Low levels can indicate anemia.
   • White blood cells (leukocytes) : Essential for the immune system. An increase can indicate infections or inflammation.
   • Hemoglobin (Hb) : The iron-containing pigment of red blood cells, which is crucial for the oxygen supply in the body.
   • Hematocrit (Hct) : Indicates what percentage of the blood consists of cells – important information for assessing blood density.
   • Platelets (thrombocytes) : Help with blood clotting and are crucial for wound healing.
2. The differential blood count , which looks more closely at the subgroups of white blood cells:
   • Neutrophils: Fight bacterial infections.
   • Lymphocytes: Play a central role in the immune defense.
   • Monocytes: Are involved in the elimination of pathogens.
   • Eosinophils: Elevated values ​​may indicate allergies or parasite infestation.
   • Basophils: Help with the immune response and release inflammatory substances.

What patients often expect when they want a “complete blood count”

Mr. Müller nods thoughtfully. He had hoped that the complete blood count would provide a comprehensive health analysis – with values ​​for vitamins, minerals, liver and kidney values, or even hormones.

But the doctor explains: "Many people imagine a complete blood count to be a complete examination of all conceivable blood values ​​- but there is no such thing. There are countless different values ​​that can be relevant depending on the question. That's why we usually concentrate on the most common and most important parameters. If, for example, you want to know whether there is a vitamin deficiency, we need additional laboratory values. It's the same for all other health areas that interest you."

• Iron, ferritin : Important markers for iron supply and possible anemia.
• Vitamin D, B12, folic acid : Relevant values ​​for energy balance and the immune system.
• Liver values ​​(GOT, GPT, GGT) : Show whether the liver is functioning healthily or is under stress.
• Kidney values ​​(creatinine, urea) : Provide information about kidney function.
• Blood sugar, HbA1c : To check the risk of diabetes.
• Thyroid values ​​(TSH, fT3, fT4) : Important for metabolism and general well-being.

When is a complete blood count useful?

The doctor explains further to Mr Müller: “A complete blood count is often ordered when:

• An infection or inflammation needs to be checked.
• Anemia or coagulation disorders are suspected.
• Chronic fatigue or unclear symptoms exist.”

In most cases, a small blood count is sufficient for a routine health check, supplemented by additional parameters from the specific health areas that are relevant to you. This allows you to determine individually meaningful values ​​without carrying out unnecessary tests.

Conclusion: No miracle analysis, but still valuable

Mr. Müller now understands that the complete blood count is an important component in laboratory diagnostics - but not an "all-round checkup" analysis. Anyone who really wants to have a complete overview of their blood values ​​should therefore specifically ask about additional parameters - or book a comprehensive check directly with Probatix, for example the comprehensive check for women or the comprehensive check for men .

💡 Key messages:

• 💡 A complete blood count primarily examines blood cells and is not a complete health check.
• 💡 Many important blood values ​​such as vitamin levels or liver and kidney values ​​are not included.
• 💡 For a comprehensive analysis, additional laboratory tests are necessary – depending on individual needs.