🦠 Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)
Calculate the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to grade neutropenia and infection risk.
Clinical takeaway
Severe neutropenia (< 0.5) with fever is an emergency.
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When to use
Assess infection risk and febrile neutropenia.
How it works
ANC = WBC × (segmented neutrophils% + bands%) / 100. < 1.5 mild, < 1.0 moderate, < 0.5 severe (×10⁹/L).
Key points
- Severe neutropenia (< 0.5) with fever is an emergency.
- Start empirical antibiotics promptly in febrile neutropenia.
- Include band forms in the calculation.
References
Decision support for licensed clinicians only; not a substitute for clinical judgement, diagnosis or local protocols.
Worked calculation
The values below come from this tool's own example placeholders and are computed server-side with the formula shown on this page, so the arithmetic can be checked quickly. It demonstrates how to substitute values only — it is not clinical advice and not a real case.
| WBC count | 4.0 ×10⁹/L |
|---|---|
| Segmented neutrophils | 40 % |
| Band neutrophils | 5 % |
→ANC1.80×10⁹/L
- Interpretation：Normal
- Formula：ANC = WBC × (neutrophils% + bands%) / 100
- Febrile neutropenia：ANC < 0.5 (or < 1.0 and falling) with fever — treat as an emergency.
Frequently asked questions
- What is Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)?
- Calculate the absolute neutrophil count (ANC) to grade neutropenia and infection risk.
- How is Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) calculated? What is the core formula?
- ANC = WBC × (segmented neutrophils% + bands%) / 100. < 1.5 mild, < 1.0 moderate, < 0.5 severe (×10⁹/L).
- When is Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) used?
- Assess infection risk and febrile neutropenia.
- What are the key clinical points for Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)?
- Severe neutropenia (< 0.5) with fever is an emergency. Start empirical antibiotics promptly in febrile neutropenia. Include band forms in the calculation.
- What are the limits and cautions when using Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)?
- For licensed clinicians and clinical researchers. Interpret results with history, investigations and local protocols; not a diagnosis or prescription, and not a substitute for multidisciplinary decision-making or local guidelines.
- How is Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC) calculated in practice? Can you show a worked example?
- Inputs: WBC count 4.0 ×10⁹/L, Segmented neutrophils 40 %, Band neutrophils 5 % → Result: ANC 1.80 ×10⁹/L（Interpretation: Normal, Formula: ANC = WBC × (neutrophils% + bands%) / 100, Febrile neutropenia: ANC < 0.5 (or < 1.0 and falling) with fever — treat as an emergency.）