Transplant: Daily Blood Counts

Once or twice a day a technician or nurse will draw blood samples for analysis.  Luckily your Aphaeresis line will make this sampling very quick, easy, and painless.  The results of these tests will available within hours.  Every morning your transplant team will share these results with you.  I recommend that you record them in the tables provided later in this section.


Shortly after your chemo or radiation treatment is administered, your blood counts will begin to fall.  Many of them will bottom out at near to zero.  When this happens the team knows that your original immune system is essentially dead.  The blood analysis done daily is called a Comprehensive Metabolic Panel.  These numbers are crucial after the transplant as they will tell your team how well your new immune system is growing.



Here is a general list of blood components tested, along with some indices the medical team will be watching for to measure a return to safe levels:

1.     CBC (Complete Blood Count)

a.      White Blood Cells (WBC)                                                            > 3.0

b.     Red Blood Cells (RBC)

                                                    i.     Hermaticrit (Herm)                                                             > 24

                                                  ii.     Hemoglobin (Hemo)                                                            > 8.0*

c.      Platelets (PLT)                                                                           > 10.0**

2.     ANC (Absolute Neutrophil Count: Infection-fighting potential)                     > 1500

3.     Creatinine (CRT for kidney function)                                                        > 1.0?

4.     Electrolytes

a.      Potassium (Pt)                                                                                                 

b.     Magnesium Oxide (MgO)                                                                               

* If less than 8.0 a transfusion will be done.

** If less than 10.0 and no bleeding is evident, a transfusion will be done.



You should record your blood counts in your journal, and remember to compare your results to the goal numbers shown to see how you’re progressing.  When your numbers rise to these safe levels, you get to go home!