From Canvas (Blood Diagnostic Test Vocabulary) - Unit 7: Blood and the Lymphatic System

Complete Blood Cell Count (CBC)

A foundational series of inexpensive screening tests performed on peripheral blood to detect hematologic and systemic organ issues. It includes RBC count, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, RBC indices, WBC count, WBC differential, Blood smear, and Platelet count.

Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)

A specific blood test that measures the exact number of circulating red blood cells in one cubic millimeter of peripheral blood.

Hemoglobin Test

A diagnostic measurement evaluating the exact concentration of hemoglobin protein present within peripheral blood.

Hematocrit

A laboratory assessment that calculates the exact percentage of red blood cells relative to the total volume of a whole blood sample.

Reticulocyte Count

A diagnostic measurement of the number of circulating immature erythrocytes in a blood specimen, used to evaluate bone marrow function.

Red Blood Cell Morphology

The microscopic examination of red blood cells on a stained blood smear to identify structural abnormalities in their form and shape.

Rouleaux

An alignment or stacking aggregation of red blood cells visible under a microscope, which can either be a benign processing artifact or an indication of multiple myeloma due to abnormal plasma proteins.

White Blood Cell Count (WBC)

A blood test that measures the total number of circulating white blood cells in one cubic millimeter of peripheral blood.

White Blood Cell Differential

A laboratory test that measures the exact percentage of each specific type of circulating leukocyte present in a peripheral blood sample.

Platelet Count

A blood test that measures the specific number of circulating thrombocytes per cubic millimeter of peripheral blood.

Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR)

A blood test that measures the rate at which red blood cells settle to the bottom of a tube of unclotted blood by tracking their settling distance in normal saline over the course of one hour.

Bleeding Time

A clinical measurement of the exact time required for small blood vessels to plug and bleeding to stop following a standardized minor incision.

Prothrombin Time (PT)

A specialized coagulation blood test used to evaluate the common pathway and the extrinsic system of blood clot formation.

Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT)

A diagnostic blood test used to evaluate the common pathway and the intrinsic system of clot formation within the blood.

Direct Antiglobulin Test (Coombs Test)

A blood test used to discover antierythrocyte antibodies in an Rh-negative woman, which typically develop due to an Rh incompatibility between the pregnant mother and her Rh-positive fetus.

Schilling Test

A specialized diagnostic urine and blood analysis used to detect vitamin B12 malabsorption and confirm a diagnosis of pernicious anemia.

Lipid Profile

A comprehensive blood panel that measures the quantities of various lipids and cholesterol levels circulating in the bloodstream.

Blood Transfusion

The therapeutic administration of whole blood or specific blood components intravenously to replace volume lost due to surgery, trauma, or disease.

Bone Marrow Biopsy

A microscopic examination of bone marrow tissue obtained via surgical removal or aspiration, which fully evaluates hematopoiesis by assessing the number, shape, and size of RBC, WBC, and platelet precursors.

Bone Marrow Transplant

A procedure where a donor's bone marrow stem cells are infused intravenously into a recipient, following aggressive chemotherapy or total-body irradiation designed to destroy all malignant cells and inactivate the recipient's immune system.