Absolute Neutrophils

What it is

Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell and are typically the first responders your immune system sends to bacterial infections, injuries, and inflammation; the absolute count is the real number of them per volume of blood, rather than just their percentage of your total WBCs. Absolute counts are generally more informative than percentages, because percentages must always add to 100%, so one cell type rising forces others to appear lower. Neutrophil counts are among the most variable numbers in a CBC — they can rise with a recent infection, stress, strenuous exercise, smoking, or corticosteroids, and healthy people from some ancestral backgrounds naturally run lower than standard reference ranges — so this number is read as a pattern alongside your other counts and your history.

Typical range

Reference ranges vary between laboratories, and what is normal for you depends on your own history. Your own lab’s range is the one printed on your report.

Worth asking your clinician

• Is my absolute neutrophil count meaningfully different from my previous results, or within my normal variation?
• Could a recent illness, medication, or activity around the time of the draw explain this value?
• Given my background and history, is the standard reference range the right comparison for me?