Home › Lab markers › Neutrophils
COMPLETE BLOOD COUNT (CBC)
Also printed as: ANC · Absolute neutrophil count · Polys · Segs
Educational only — not medical advice.
Neutrophils are the most numerous white blood cells and usually the first responders to bacterial infection and tissue injury. The count can be reported as a percentage of white cells or as an absolute number. The absolute count is the more useful of the two.
Neutrophils respond fast — within hours — which makes them informative but also easily influenced by the day you had. Reading them with the total WBC and lymphocytes gives a much steadier picture.
TYPICAL ADULT RANGE
Many labs report an absolute neutrophil count of roughly 1.8–7.7 K/µL, or about 40–70% of white cells. Ranges vary by lab and by ancestry. Reported in K/µL (or % of WBC).
Reference ranges vary by lab, by method, and by age and sex. Always read your own result against the range printed on your report.
Upload your report — every line explained free
Drop in a PDF or a photo of your lab results and get a plain-English breakdown of every marker on it, in the same calm language you just read. No account needed to start.
Explain my lab report →🔒 Secure & encrypted · Free to try
A modestly low neutrophil count is normal for a meaningful share of healthy people, especially those of African, Middle Eastern, or West Indian ancestry — a benign inherited pattern with no health consequences. Recent viral infections lower it for weeks, and several common medications do the same. A count that is markedly low, keeps falling, or comes with repeated or unusual infections is something to raise with your doctor without waiting for the next routine panel.
High neutrophils most often mean your body is responding to something ordinary — a bacterial infection, a healing injury, a dental issue, or recovery from surgery. Physical and emotional stress raise them quickly too: hard exercise, a poor night of sleep, pain, smoking, and pregnancy all count, and steroid medications raise them reliably. A count that stays high once you are well is a routine reason for your doctor to recheck the differential.
Your doctor is the one who can read this number against your history, symptoms, and medications.
Educational only — not medical advice. Lab results only mean something alongside your history, symptoms, medications, and the rest of your panel. Bring questions to your doctor; they are the one who can interpret your results for you.
All lab markers · Upload a report · About E-Labus · Privacy
© E-Labus. Educational only — not medical advice.
Hi, I'm Ellie.
Your whole health story — one intelligence.