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Blood and lab tests

What Are Neutrophils on a Blood Test?

Neutrophils · say it: NEW-truh-filsAlso written: NEUT, polymorphs, segs, absolute neutrophil count, ANC

Short answer

Neutrophils are the most common type of white blood cell and are usually the first to respond to bacterial infections.

What it means

Neutrophils travel quickly to places where germs, especially bacteria, have entered the body. They swallow and destroy the germs, and they are a main ingredient of pus.

Reports may show neutrophils as a percentage of all white cells and as an absolute count. The absolute count is usually the more useful number.

Raised neutrophils are common with bacterial infections, inflammation, stress, steroids and smoking. Low neutrophils (neutropenia) can follow some viral infections and medicines, and some healthy people naturally run lower counts.

Where you may see it

Complete blood count with differential
Monitoring during chemotherapy and some other medicines

📄 How it looks on a report

Neutrophils 8.1 x10^9/L H

🙅 What it does not mean

A high count does not prove a bacterial infection; stress, steroids and other causes can raise it.
A percentage alone can mislead; the absolute count is what doctors usually rely on.
A mildly low count is sometimes a normal variation, including a well-known benign pattern in some ethnic groups.

🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor

Is it my absolute neutrophil count or the percentage that is outside the range?
Could an infection, medicine or stress explain it?
Does this need to be rechecked?

🧾 Reports where you will see “Neutrophils”

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🔗 Read more from trusted sources

“Neutrophils” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
MedlinePlus lab test guides ↗
US National Library of Medicine

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General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.