how high does your white blood count have to be hospitalized?

how high does your white blood count have to be hospitalized?

White blood cells (WBC), also known as leukocytes, are a part of your immune system that protects your body from infection. These cells circulate through your bloodstream and tissues to respond to injury or illness by attacking any unknown organisms that enter your body. A complete blood count (CBC) performs to check the WBC count (1).

Normal ranges

The normal range of white blood cells varies from person to person and depends on your age and gender:

· Newborn Infant                         13,000–38,000 per μL

· 2-week-old infant                      5,000–20,000

· Children                                       5,000 to 10,000

· Adult men                                   5,000 to 10,000

· Adult women                             4,500 to 11,000

Note that this range is different in pregnant women; in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy, it can be 5800 to 13200 per cubic millimeter (3, 4).

Low and high count

Leukopenia is the medical term used to describe a low WBC count. It can trigger by:

– Bone marrow failure (aplastic anemia).

– cancer cells attack Bone marrow (leukemia).

– Drug exposure (chemotherapy).

– Vitamin deficiency (B12).

– HIV/AIDS (1,2)

Leukocytosis, or high white blood cell count, is a normal immune response and isn’t always a cause for concern. Mostly, it means you have an infection or inflammation in your body. However, sometimes a high white blood cell count could show something more serious, such as.

– Autoimmune disorders (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis)

– Leukemia or Hodgkin’s disease (1,2)

Treating the underlying condition usually reduces your white blood cell count. But the question is, how high does your white blood count have to be hospitalized?

How high does your white blood count have to be hospitalized?

If your WBC counts 50,000 to 100,000 per microliter of blood, you may have a severe infection, organ rejection, or a solid tumor. Values above 100,000 only occur with conditions like leukemia or other types of blood and bone marrow cancer. In these conditions, you will probably be hospitalized by doctors (4).

* You can enter your lab test results online and get a personalized interpretation, including your condition in each test, definition, reasons for increased or decreased results, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, potential treatments, drug interactions, etc.

References:

1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21871-white-blood-cells
2. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/17704-high-white-blood-cell-count
3. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327446#normal-ranges
4. https://www.healthline.com/health/leukocytosis#diagnosis