Absolute neutrophil count

Pronunciation

AB-soh-loot NOO-troh-fil kownt

Cycling peripheral blood ANCs in CyN patients

Definition

A measure of the number of neutrophils in the blood.

What are neurophils?

Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell.

Function of neutrophils

They help the body fight infection.

Complete blood count and differential

Use of ANC

• An absolute neutrophil count may be used to check for infection, inflammation, leukemia, and other conditions.
• The lower a person's absolute neutrophil count is, the higher the risk is of getting an infection.
• Having an absolute neutrophil count of less than 500 means there is a high risk of getting an infection.
• Cancer treatment, such as chemotherapy, may reduce the absolute neutrophil count.

Normal values

The reference range for ANC is between 1500 to 8000 cells per microliter is typical. For most people, an ANC between 2,500 and 6,000.

Caliculation

The ANC is found by multiplying the WBC count by the percent of neutrophils in the blood

Neutropenia

An ANC less than 1500 cells/µL is defined as neutropenia which increases risk of infection.

Other names

Also called ANC

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