Procedure grades immune system
Dear Dr. Gott: I have to have a white cell count to check for infection. What on earth is this?
Dear Reader: The blood contains red cells (which supply oxygen to tissues) and white cells (which fight infection). Although this is something of an oversimplification, the number, type and age of the white blood corpuscles reflect the state of the body’s immune system and our ability to combat infection.
Thus, in the presence of infection, the healthy body pours millions of white cells into the bloodstream, much like the mobilization of soldiers in preparation for war.
The normal white blood cell (WBC) count is 5,000 to 10,000 per microliter. In the presence of infection, the WBC is commonly between 12,000 and 20,000 depending on the severity of the infection. This elevated count may also contain an increased number of immature forms of white cells, called “bands.”
Therefore, I conclude that your physician proposes to verify his suspicions that you may have an internal infection by obtaining a WBC count, which is merely one of many tests, including X-rays and other blood analyses, used for this purpose. An elevated WBC does not tell where the infection is or what’s causing it. Rather, the elevated count simply reflects the presence of an infection somewhere in the body.
For example, if you had severe abdominal pain, a high WBC would indicate appendicitis, diverticulitis, gallbladder irritation, or other infection for which you might need surgery or antibiotics. On the other hand, in the presence of a normal WBC, the doctor would have to address the non-infectious causes of abdominal pain, such as kidney stones or intestinal obstruction.
The WBC is a simple and useful test that, in conjunction with a thorough examination and other tests, helps doctors diagnose a variety of ailments.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Blood — Donations and Disorders.” Other readers who would like a copy should send a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
Dear Dr. Gott: After carrying your column for more than five years, our local newspaper has discontinued it. My friends and I think that this is a stupid and arbitrary editorial decision. How can we go about getting you re-instituted?
Dear Reader: Newspapers discontinue special features when their editors believe that such columns do not interest readers or are not compatible with the publications’ editorial policies. There are probably other reasons, too, of which I am unaware.
Nonetheless, the reading public is a powerful force. If you have enjoyed my column and wish to see it re-instituted, you and your friends should write the editor of your local newspaper. Once the paper receives what I hope will be an avalanche of protest letters, the editors may choose to rescind their decision.