Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)
Determine ANC to assess risk of opportunistic infection
Author / Source: Riley Golby, MD
The Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is a calculated parameter based on the total number of white blood cells, the percentage of neutrophils, and the percentage of band cells in a patient's blood sample at a given time. It has been used as a parameter to assess immune function and risk stratify patients for likelihood of acute bacterial infection.
ANC levels have become a benchmark to assess the risk of opportunistic bacterial infections, in particular immunosuppressed patients with malignancy receiving chemotherapy.
- [1]Freifeld AG, Bow EJ, Sepkowitz KA, Boeckh MJ, Ito JI, Mullen CA, Raad II, Rolston KV, Young JA, Wingard JR.: Clinical practice guideline for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer: 2010 update by the infectious diseases society of america. Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(4):e56
Results
Real-time automated computation
The Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) is a calculated parameter based on the total number of white blood cells, the percentage of neutrophils, and the percentage of band cells in a patient's blood sample at a given time. It has been used as a parameter to assess immune function and risk stratify patients for likelihood of acute bacterial infection.
ANC levels have become a benchmark to assess the risk of opportunistic bacterial infections, in particular immunosuppressed patients with malignancy receiving chemotherapy.
- [1]Freifeld AG, Bow EJ, Sepkowitz KA, Boeckh MJ, Ito JI, Mullen CA, Raad II, Rolston KV, Young JA, Wingard JR.: Clinical practice guideline for the use of antimicrobial agents in neutropenic patients with cancer: 2010 update by the infectious diseases society of america. Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2011;52(4):e56