What does DNR mean on a CBC panel?

What does DNR mean on my CBC Panel?

On a Complete Blood Count (CBC) panel, DNR stands for "Do Not Report." This label may appear on specific test results, signalling that those results won’t be reported because additional testing isn’t necessary.

A CBC typically measures several blood components, including:

- White Blood Cells (WBC)

- Red Blood Cells (RBC)

- Hemoglobin

- Hematocrit

- Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)

- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH)

- Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)

- Red Cell Distribution Width (RDW)

- Platelet Count

- Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)

- Differential Counts (Absolute and Percent) for Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Eosinophils, and Basophils.

Occasionally, lab technicians will do a manual review of a blood smear to check for abnormal cells, especially if certain automated readings suggest abnormalities. If the initial results meet specific criteria—meaning they don’t show any irregularities that require further examination—a full manual differential (a more detailed manual analysis) is unnecessary.

When that’s the case, you may see "DNR" next to those tests, indicating that further reporting on those particular results isn’t required.

In short, "DNR" on a CBC panel simply means that no additional reporting is needed based on the initial results.