Neutrophils : Neutrophils are white blood cells that help to fight bacterial infections. The absolute neutrophil count (anc) is used to assess how many neutrophils a person has. A count that is too low can put you at risk for bacterial infections. A high count can indicate that your body is fighting an infection, or can be from an inflammatory injury such as a burn, heart attack or appendicitis. People who do not have a spleen also can have a higher than normal anc. It can even be caused by medications (such as steroids) or stress. Very rarely a high ANC can indicate malignancy such as chronic myelogenous leukemia, but people usually have other signs and symptoms, also. Because of this very wide range of high ANC causes, the context in which the test was ordered and how high it actually is is very important. If you are worried about your test result, call the doctor that ordered the test and ask what they were looking for and if your high ANC is a concern.
Answered 8/11/2018
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Need numbers: All laboratory results need to be interpreted in the clinical context and the doctor who ordered the tests is usually in the best position to do that. Talk to the doctor who ordered the tests. Having said that, it would have helped had you provided the actual numbers rather than "high".
Answered 12/21/2018
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