Complete blood count (CBC) blood test without a referral

A CBC blood test looks at three groups of cells. Each group has its own job.

• Red blood cells (erythrocytes) carry oxygen through your body.
• White blood cells (leukocytes) belong to your immune defence.
• Platelets (thrombocytes) play a role in clotting.

The number of red blood cells says something about your oxygen transport. The lab also measures the amount of haemoglobin in your blood. Haemoglobin is the protein that binds oxygen.

Your white blood cells come in different types. In a differential the lab splits them into neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils.

Your result lists values such as these:

• Haemoglobin (Hb) binds oxygen in your red blood cells.
• Haematocrit is the share of your blood made up of cells.
• Leukocytes are your white blood cells.
• Thrombocytes are your platelets.
• MCV, MCH and MCHC describe the size and filling of your red blood cells.
• RDW shows the spread in cell size.

This set is also called a full blood count. Add a differential and laboratory staff call it a CBC with diff.

A CBC has no normal value of its own. It is not a single measurement, but a panel of measurements. Every value in that panel has its own reference range.

Those ranges differ per laboratory. They also differ by sex and by age. A number from one list therefore does not always fit a result from another lab.

So read the reference range printed on your own result. Each individual value has its own page explaining what it means.

A member of staff draws one tube of blood from a vein in your arm. This happens at a certified draw location. There are 700+ locations across the Netherlands.

The tube contains a substance that prevents clotting. That keeps your cells intact so the analyser can count them.

Bring your appointment confirmation and valid photo ID. The draw itself usually takes a few minutes.

This test suits people who want to track their blood values. For example:

• Athletes tracking their haemoglobin and red blood cells
• People whose tiredness lasts longer than usual
• People following their recovery after a heavy training block
• People whose earlier values deviated
• People with a chronic condition keeping an eye on their values
• People wanting a baseline before a new lifestyle

Do your symptoms persist? Then discuss them with your GP first.

Want more than your blood cells measured? Then look at the broader 360 Health panel.

Your result places each value beside the reference range of the lab. A value outside that range does not automatically mean something is wrong.

A doctor often looks at the whole picture. Your red cells, your white cells and your platelets together say more than one value alone.

One result is not a diagnosis. Always discuss deviating values with your GP.

You usually do not need to fast for a CBC test. Drink enough water on the day of your draw. That often makes the draw easier.

Did you train hard shortly beforehand? Then take that into account. Heavy exertion can temporarily affect some values.

Unsure about your own situation? Then check with your GP.

The price of this test is shown at the top of this page. You pay online and then schedule your draw yourself.

Your result is usually in your account within five working days. Every result carries an assessment by a BIG-registered doctor.

You then share your result with your GP yourself. They can weigh what the values mean in your situation.