What is the medical term for an elevated white blood cell count?

The medical term for an elevated white blood cell count is leukocytosis. This condition indicates that there is an increase in the number of white blood cells (leukocytes) in the bloodstream, which can occur as a response to infection, inflammation, stress, or other medical conditions that stimulate the immune system.

Leukocytes play a crucial role in the body's immune response, helping to combat infections and foreign substances. Therefore, an elevated count often signifies that the body is actively fighting off a condition, making leukocytosis an important indicator in clinical assessments.

The other terms mentioned relate to different hematological conditions: anemia refers to a deficiency in red blood cells or hemoglobin, leukopenia indicates a decrease in white blood cells, and thrombocytosis denotes an elevated platelet count. Each of these conditions involves different aspects of blood health and disease, but only leukocytosis is specifically related to an increase in white blood cells.