QuestionMy mom who is 80 had a FBC done because she was scheduled for nerve root blocks the next day. Except for the following the test results were normal.
WBC 15.89 range (3.6-9.28)
Platelets 401 range 160-398)
MPV 5.8 range (6.6-9.9)
neutrophils 10.84 range (1.41-6.83)
To rule out infection a chest xray and urine test/culture were done. The 2 most likely sources of possible infection.
Both were normal. The doctor said that the high WBC was probably due to a steroid injection taken into her knee the week before and left it at that.
What i'm concerned about is the MPV - he didn't mention this. It's rather low. What exactly does this mean? Can steroid affect this as well?
She does yearly FBC but the previous labs never had this test in their differential, so I don't know if this is a new issue.
Should I be worried?
AnswerHi, Patrick. I believe your mother's doctor is correct about the high WBC/neutrophils being from the steroid shot. Steroids can affect WBC test results. Mean platelet volume (MPV) is a machine-calculated measurement of the average size of your platelets. MPV gives the doctor information about platelet production in the bone marrow. But your mother's platelet count is only slightly high and he MPV is only slightly low, which is unlikely to be of any clinical significance. Also, MPV does sometimes decrease with age.
Samantha
