Absolute Neutrophils, Explained
An absolute neutrophil count (ANC) measures the amount of a specificwhite blood cellcalled aneutrophilin a blood sample. It may be used to check for inflammation, infection, lymphoma, leukemia, and other conditions. A lower absolute neutrophil count correlates to a higher risk of infection. Simon Fraser / Getty Images An ANC less than 500 signals a person is at an elevated risk of infection. The test doesn’t explain why a neutrophil count is high or low....