Smear Preparation Flashcards
Preferred color of tube stopper where blood can be stored for blood smear.
EDTA Anticoagulated Blood
Types of Blood Smears:
Cover Glass Smears
Wedge Smears
Spun Smears
Buffy Coat Smears
Thick Blood Smears
A type of blood smear that is used for more even distribution of white cells.
Cover Glass Smears
A type of blood smear that is used for differential counting of patients with <1.0x10^9/L WBC count.
Buffy Coat Smears
A type of blood smear that is used to detect blood parasites.
Thick Blood Smears
List down the step-by-step procedure for Wedge Smearing:
- Obtain a clean glass slide, a spreader slide, EDTA blood, and a plain microhematocrit tube.
- Fill the microhematocrit tube and carefully place a small drop of blood in the middle of the slide, approximately 1 cm from the labelled end (if using blood from finger or heel, careful not to touch the skin with the slide).
- Place the slide on a flat table top.
- With the thumb and index finger of the left hand, hold the two edges of the slide.
- With the right hand, hold the spreader slide with the thumb on the edge of one side and the other four
fingers on the edge of the other side. - Place the end of the spreader slide slightly in front of the drop of blood.
- There should be an approximate 30-40 degrees angle between the two slides.
- Draw the spreader slide back toward the drop of blood. The blood will begin to spread to the edge of the spreader slide.
- Keeping the angle, push the spreader slide rapidly over the entire length of the slide.
An acronym used in making a smear:
P
A
S
S
PASS means:
Pressure
Angle
Size of Blood Drop
Speed of Spread
To make a thinner smear, what needs to be done?
High Pressure
Low Angle
Low Size of Blood Drop (Decreased Amount of Blood Drop)
Low Speed of Spread (Slow Speed)
To make a thicker smear, what needs to be done?
Low Pressure
High Angle
High Size of Blood Drop (Increased Amount of Blood Drop)
High Speed of Spread (Fast Speed)
