What is a 'complete blood count' or 'CBC'?

What is a 'complete blood count' or 'CBC'?

Charles Farthing (Chief of Medicine, AIDS Healthcare Foundation) gives expert video advice on: Why do I need to take lab tests if I have HIV? and more...

A CBC, complete blood count, sometimes called a full blood count, is a count of all the different cells in the blood. The CBC is a very common blood test, done everywhere, not just in people with HIV. A CBC test measures the haemoglobin, how many red cells in the blood, and how many white cells of different sorts.