What is a normal blood count?
Normal blood counts fall within the range that has been established by testing healthy men and women of all ages. The cell counts are compared to those of healthy individuals of similar age and sex. If a cell count is higher or lower than normal, the physician will try to determine the explanation for the abnormal results. The approximate normal ranges of blood cell counts for healthy adults are as follows: • Red blood cell (RBC) count: • 4.5 to 6.0 million red cells per microliter of blood in men • 4.0 to 5.0 million red cells per microliter of blood in women • White blood cell (WBC) count: • 4.5 to 11 thousand white cells per microliter of blood • Platelet count: • 150 to 450 thousand platelets per microliter of blood • Hematocrit is the percent of the blood that is composed of red cells: • 42% to 50% is normal in men • 36% to 45% is normal in women • Hemoglobin is the compound in the red blood cell that carries oxygen: • 14 to 17 grams per 100 milliliters of blood is normal for men
