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Explain the tests: Complete blood cell count (CBC) – High white blood cell count (Part seven)

High white blood cell count is called leukocytosis. High white blood cell count is often due to a healthy process, such as immune defense or inflammatory response after an injury.

Reasons for leukocytosis:

  • Infection response, especially bacterial infection
  • Inflammation
  • Physical stress and tissue death
  • Allergic disease
  • Proliferative diseases of white blood cells, such as leukemias

Conditions that cause tissue death and elevate white blood cells:

  • Physical trauma
  • Surgery
  • Ischemia
  • Heart attack
  • Burns

Allergic conditions that elevate white blood cells:

  • Allergic reaction, acute or chronic
  • Anaphylaxis
  • Asthma
  • Atopic disease

Inflammatory conditions that cause elevation of white blood cells:

  • Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
  • Inflammatory bowel diseases

Medications that trigger excessive production of white blood cells:

  • Corticosteroids
  • Beta agonists