BLOOD TEST · SMART CARE POLYCLINIC, DEIRA
Complete Blood Count explained
Counts the red cells, white cells and platelets in your blood — the most informative routine blood test there is.
What the Complete Blood Count measures
Measures the three kinds of cell circulating in your blood: red cells, which carry oxygen; white cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which make blood clot. For red cells it also reports their size and haemoglobin content — the measurements used to work out whether an anaemia is from iron deficiency or something else.1
What the result tells you
Low red cells or haemoglobin
This is anaemia — the usual explanation for tiredness, breathlessness on stairs and looking pale.
Red cell size narrows the cause
Small cells point towards iron; large ones towards vitamin B12 or folate. This is why a blood count and a ferritin are read together.
Raised white cells
Usually infection or inflammation, settling afterwards. The breakdown by cell type gives a rough steer on bacterial versus viral.
Platelets
Low can show as easy bruising or bleeding gums. High is often a reaction to inflammation elsewhere rather than a problem in itself.
How to prepare
- Fasting
- Not needed
- Best time
- Any time of day
What can move the result
A result outside the usual range does not on its own mean something is wrong. These are the everyday explanations a doctor considers first.
Packages that include it
Frequently asked questions
Measures the three kinds of cell circulating in your blood: red cells, which carry oxygen; white cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which make blood clot. For red cells it also reports their size and haemoglobin content — the measurements used to work out whether an anaemia is from iron deficiency or something else. Low red cells or haemoglobin: This is anaemia — the usual explanation for tiredness, breathlessness on stairs and looking pale.
Fasting: Not needed. Best time: Any time of day.
Commonly: iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency; a recent or current infection; ongoing inflammation from any cause; heavy periods, the commonest reason for low iron in women; pregnancy, which normally dilutes the blood and lowers haemoglobin. A single result is not a diagnosis. Values are read against the laboratory's own reference range and alongside your history, your symptoms and the rest of the panel — which is why every package includes a doctor to go through them with you.
At Smart Care Polyclinic, 29 Doha Centre, Al Maktoum Rd, Deira, Dubai. It is included in the Smart Essential Health, the Smart Total Health, the Smart Total Health 360°, the Smart Extra Health, the Diabetic Panel, the Essential Vitamins, the Stress Burnout, the Cardiac Panel, or it can be ordered on its own. Walk in during opening hours or call +971 (0)4 379 3562.
Sources
Written from current guidance and reviewed 31 August 2026.
Sources cited above
- Latimer K, Baci G, Layne M. Iron Deficiency Anemia: Evaluation and Management. American Family Physician. 2025;112(5):538-545. PMID 41252836A current review of how iron deficiency anaemia is evaluated, and why finding the cause matters as much as correcting the iron.
Sources are listed for the specific statements they support. They are published research and guidance, not a substitute for a consultation — what applies to you is decided by a doctor who has assessed you.
- Complete blood count (CBC)MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine
- Blood tests and anaemiaNHS
- AnaemiaWorld Health Organization