CBC/Hematology

What do all these things mean?

Complete Blood Count (CBC) gives information on hydration status, anemia, infection, the clotting ability of the blood and the immune systems' ability to respond to infection. 

RBC (red blood cells) are the oxygen carrying cells of the blood.  High or low numbers can indicate anemia or dehydration
HCT (hematocrit) measures the percentage of red blood cells to detect anemia and dehydration
HGB (hemoglobin), MCV (mean corpuscular volume) and MCHC (mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration) measure the oxygen-carrying proteins of red blood cells
WBC (white blood cell count) measures the body's immune cells. Increases or decreases indicate certain diseases or infections.  There are several types of white cells, including, NEU (neutrophils), LYM (lymphocytes), MONO (monocytes), EOS (eosinophils), and BASO (basophils)
PLT (platelet count) measures cells that form blood clots
RETIC (reticulocytes) are immature red blood cells, high levels may indicate regenerative anemia
MPV (mean platelet volume), PDW (platelet distribution width), and PCT (platelet hematocrit) are values used to determine the size of the platelets and may indicate underlying disease such as thrombocytopenia.  Sometimes, clumped platelets may support abnormal results.