An FBE blood test (full blood examination) counts and measures the three main cell types in your blood: red cells, white cells and platelets. In Australia an FBE and a full blood count (FBC) are the same test, and in the US it is called a complete blood count (CBC).
Your full blood count can show anaemia, signs of infection or inflammation, and changes in clotting cells. We read each number against the lab range and our optimal ranges, and look at the pattern with your iron markers.
Your full blood count (FBE) is part of Vively's Baseline Health Check, alongside 70+ markers including iron studies and ferritin, so a flagged number is read in context.
Every marker in range? Get your $99 back. T&Cs apply.Want to save 25%? Try our 4-Month Reset insteadAn FBE blood test is a count of the cells in your blood: red cells, which carry oxygen; white cells, which fight infection; and platelets, which help your blood clot. FBE stands for full blood examination. Australian labs use FBE and full blood count (FBC) for the same test, and the US name is complete blood count (CBC).
An analyser counts and sizes the cells in one small tube of blood. If something looks unusual, a scientist checks a blood film (a smear of your blood under a microscope). Your report groups the results into three sets:
A full blood count tests for anaemia, signs of infection or inflammation, and problems with clotting cells. GPs use it as a general check, to look into tiredness, breathlessness, frequent infections or easy bruising, and to monitor medicines that affect the bone marrow.
The pattern tells you more than any one number. Low haemoglobin with small red cells usually points to low iron; with large red cells, towards B12, folate or alcohol.
Normal does not always mean optimal. Iron stores can run down for months before haemoglobin falls, so a normal FBE can sit alongside a low ferritin. Our Medical Director, Dr Michelle Woolhouse, notes that low ferritin can bring fatigue, restless legs and poor sleep while haemoglobin is still in range.
For adults, haemoglobin is usually 130 to 185 g/L in men and 120 to 165 g/L in women, white cells 4.0 to 11.0 x10^9/L and platelets 150 to 400 x10^9/L.
| Component | What it measures | Typical adult lab range | Vively optimal range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haemoglobin (men) | Oxygen-carrying protein | 130 to 185 g/L | None set |
| Haemoglobin (women) | Oxygen-carrying protein | 120 to 165 g/L | None set |
| Haematocrit (men) | Share of blood that is red cells | 0.40 to 0.54 L/L | None set |
| Haematocrit (women) | Share of blood that is red cells | 0.37 to 0.47 L/L | None set |
| Red cell count (men) | Number of red cells | 4.5 to 6.5 x10^12/L | None set |
| Red cell count (women) | Number of red cells | 3.8 to 5.8 x10^12/L | None set |
| MCV | Average red cell size | 80 to 100 fL | 82 to 95 fL |
| MCH | Haemoglobin per red cell | 26 to 34 pg | None set |
| MCHC | Haemoglobin concentration in red cells | 320 to 360 g/L | None set |
| RDW | Variation in red cell size | About 11 to 15% | None set |
| White cell count | All white cells | 4.0 to 11.0 x10^9/L | None set |
| Neutrophils | Fight bacteria | 2.0 to 7.5 x10^9/L | None set |
| Lymphocytes | Fight viruses | 1.0 to 4.0 x10^9/L | None set |
| Monocytes | Clean up after infection | 0.2 to 1.0 x10^9/L | 0.2 to 0.8 x10^9/L |
| Eosinophils | Allergy and parasites | 0.04 to 0.4 x10^9/L | None set |
| Basophils | Release histamine | 0.0 to 0.3 x10^9/L | None set |
| Platelet count | Clotting cells | 150 to 400 x10^9/L | 190 to 400 x10^9/L |
| MPV | Average platelet size (not every lab reports it) | 7.5 to 11.5 fL | None set |
Optimal ranges are what we aim for to support long-term health, not diagnostic cut-offs. Where none is set, we look at where you sit, your trend and your other markers. Labs set their own ranges, so use the one on your report. Each range covers about 95% of healthy people (Pathology Tests Explained), so with close to 20 numbers on one report, a single result slightly out of range is common and often means nothing.
Most mildly abnormal FBE results in a well adult have an everyday cause, such as low iron, a recent virus or dehydration. What matters is which group is out, by how much, and whether it stays out on a repeat test.
Low haemoglobin means anaemia, most often from iron deficiency in Australia. The red cell indices narrow down why:
High haemoglobin and haematocrit most often reflect dehydration. If they stay high, smoking, testosterone therapy, sleep apnoea and lung conditions are the usual reasons; polycythaemia vera, a bone marrow condition, is rare.
A high white cell count usually means your body is responding to infection or inflammation. Neutrophils rise with bacterial infections, smoking, steroid medicines and pregnancy, and for a few hours after hard exercise or stress. Lymphocytes rise with viral infections such as glandular fever. Eosinophils rise with allergies, asthma and eczema.
A low count usually means low neutrophils, most often after a viral illness or from some medicines. Many people of African or Middle Eastern background naturally run lower neutrophils (Duffy-null associated neutrophil count). Leukaemia is an uncommon cause, and it usually changes more than one number or shows abnormal cells on the blood film.
A slightly high platelet count is usually a reaction to low iron, infection, inflammation or recent surgery. A low count is sometimes a lab effect, as platelets can clump in the tube and be undercounted, so a repeat test is the first step. Real causes include a recent virus, heavy drinking, pregnancy, some medicines, liver disease and immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).
Hydration, recent illness and medicines change FBE results far more than food does.
No. An FBE on its own does not need fasting. If your FBE is part of Vively's Baseline Health Check, you fast overnight because the Baseline also measures glucose, insulin and triglycerides. Water is fine, and it helps.
Read your FBE with your iron, vitamin and inflammation markers.
| Pattern | What it can mean |
|---|---|
| Low haemoglobin, low MCV, low ferritin | Iron deficiency anaemia. Check iron studies; your GP needs to find the cause. |
| Normal haemoglobin, low ferritin | Iron stores running down before anaemia. Worth acting on now. |
| High MCV, low vitamin B12 or folate | B12 or folate deficiency. Needs GP review. |
| Low MCV, normal ferritin, high red cell count | Can point to thalassaemia trait. Ask your GP. |
| High neutrophils, high hs-CRP | Active infection or inflammation. Retest once you are well. |
Food and habits help most when the cause is low iron, low B12 or folate, dehydration, smoking or alcohol. They cannot change inherited traits such as thalassaemia.
See your GP if any part of your FBE stays out of range on a repeat test, or comes with symptoms. Get prompt review if:
Night sweats, unexplained weight loss or black stools always need a GP. Chest pain or severe shortness of breath: call 000.
Your full blood count is included in Vively's Baseline Health Check, with all five white cell types, read alongside your ferritin, iron studies and inflammation markers.
A GP from our network signs your request after a short telehealth consult. You have one blood draw at one of 3,700+ accredited partner collection centres, and results arrive in the app, usually within a few days. Your practitioner explains your pattern, builds a personalised plan and you retest to track change. The Baseline's exact markers can depend on the reviewing doctor.
Check your full blood count and iron with the Baseline Health Check.
There is none. FBC (full blood count) and FBE (full blood examination) are two Australian names for the same test, and CBC (complete blood count) is the US name. All three count your red cells, white cells and platelets, and your doctor or lab may use any of them on the form.
FBE means full blood examination, the same test as a full blood count. It asks the lab to count and measure your red cells, white cells and platelets. It is one of the most routine tests a doctor orders, often alongside iron studies and liver and kidney tests, and does not by itself mean anything specific is suspected.
No. An FBE alone does not need fasting, so you can eat normally. If it is part of a wider test such as Vively's Baseline Health Check, you will fast overnight for other markers like glucose and insulin. Keep drinking water either way, as dehydration can push your haemoglobin up.
With Vively, your FBE results arrive in the app usually within a few days of your blood draw, together with the rest of your Baseline Health Check. The full blood count is one of the quicker tests a lab runs, but your report is released once all your markers are complete.
A doctor's request is needed for standard blood tests in Australia. Many blood tests can be Medicare-funded when a doctor orders them for a clinical reason. With Vively, we arrange the referral through our GP network after a short telehealth consult, so you can get a blood test without a referral from your own GP.
An FBE does not measure iron stores, B12 or folate, so it can look normal while ferritin is low. It is not a cancer screen: most cancers do not change a full blood count, and a normal result does not rule them out. It also says nothing about cholesterol, glucose, thyroid, liver or kidney health.
Usually not. A count slightly under 4.0 x10^9/L in someone who feels well is common after a recent virus or with some medicines, and some people naturally run lower neutrophils. Repeat it in a few weeks. See your GP if it keeps falling, is well below range, or comes with fevers or frequent infections.
How to get it: Included in the Baseline Health Check. A GP from our network signs your request after a short telehealth consult, so you don't need to visit your own GP first. See how a blood test without a referral works.
Costs compared: What a full blood count costs through your GP, with Medicare and from private providers, in our full blood test cost guide, or compare online blood tests in Australia.
Related tests: Haematocrit, Haemoglobin, Red cell distribution width (RDW)
Learn more: What blood tests should I get?; What your eosinophil results can mean
What your result means: What your pre-pregnancy blood test results can mean
What your result means: What your iron and ferritin results can mean
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