Asked by: Assan Fuks
medical health medical tests

What is a peripheral blood smear interpretation?

A blood smear is a blood test used to look for abnormalities in blood cells. The three main blood cells that the test focuses on are: red cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. white cells, which help your body fight infections and other inflammatory diseases. platelets, which are important for blood clotting.


Keeping this in view, what is a peripheral blood smear used for?

A blood smear, also referred to as a peripheral smear for morphology, is an important test for evaluating blood-related problems, such as those in red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets.

Similarly, what diseases require a peripheral blood smear and why? A blood smear can be used to help diagnose or check on many conditions, such as:
  • Anemia.
  • Jaundice.
  • Sickle cell disease.
  • Thrombocytopenia.
  • Malaria.
  • Sudden kidney failure.
  • G6PD deficiency.
  • Certain cancers.

Also asked, what is the normal blood smear?

The results of a blood smear typically include a description of the appearance of the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets as well as any abnormalities that may be seen on the slide. Normal, mature red blood cells are uniform in size (7-8 µm in diameter) and do not have a nucleus as most other cells do.

What are the characteristics of a good blood smear?

It should have a rainbow sheen when reflecting light. The smear should be smooth the entire length of the slide with no holes, lines or grainy appearance. The slide consists of a blood smear that is exactly one cell thick in the feathered edge when viewed microscopically.

Related Question Answers

Neoma Bonoso

Professional

Can a blood smear detect leukemia?

Your doctor will conduct a complete blood count (CBC) to determine if you have leukemia. This test may reveal if you have leukemic cells. Abnormal levels of white blood cells and abnormally low red blood cell or platelet counts can also indicate leukemia.

Hicham Shlomo (Solomon)

Professional

What blood test results indicate cancer?

Examples of blood tests used to diagnose cancer include: Complete blood count (CBC). This common blood test measures the amount of various types of blood cells in a sample of your blood. Blood cancers may be detected using this test if too many or too few of a type of blood cell or abnormal cells are found.

Pascale Ignatyuk

Professional

What are the first signs and symptoms of leukemia?

Common leukemia signs and symptoms include:
  • Fever or chills.
  • Persistent fatigue, weakness.
  • Frequent or severe infections.
  • Losing weight without trying.
  • Swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver or spleen.
  • Easy bleeding or bruising.
  • Recurrent nosebleeds.
  • Tiny red spots in your skin (petechiae)

Edicta Gehrckens

Explainer

How long does a peripheral blood smear take?

A quick assessment of a smear can be made within 3 minutes but an abnormal film would require longer time for wider view and differential cell counts. Peripheral blood smear can be used for estimation of manual blood counts.

Joe Agreda

Explainer

Why are blood smears stained?

These stains allow for the detection of white blood cell, red blood cell, and platelet abnormalities. Hematopathologists often use other specialized stains to aid in the differential diagnosis of blood disorders.

Divine Gazulla

Explainer

What is meant by peripheral blood?

Peripheral blood cells are the cellular components of blood, consisting of red blood cells (erythrocytes), white blood cells (leucocytes), and platelets, which are found within the circulating pool of blood and not sequestered within the lymphatic system, spleen, liver, or bone marrow.

Kakha Lebert

Pundit

What are the major components of blood and what are their functions?

It has four main components: plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Blood has many different functions, including: transporting oxygen and nutrients to the lungs and tissues.

Stefanel Iliyanov

Pundit

How do you do a blood smear slide?

  1. Place clean glass slide on a flat surface. Add one small drop of blood to one end.
  2. Take another clean slide, and holding at an angle of about 45 deg, touch the blood with one end of the slide so the blood runs along the edge of the slide by capillary action.
  3. Make 2 smears, allow to air dry, and label clearly.

Nasiha Arismendi

Pundit

What is absolute neutrophil count?

Absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is a measure of the number of neutrophil granulocytes (also known as polymorphonuclear cells, PMN's, polys, granulocytes, segmented neutrophils or segs) present in the blood. Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell that fights against infection.

Sophia Ianos

Pundit

What are hematocrit levels?

Hematocrit (Hct) Levels
This is the ratio of the volume of red cells to the volume of whole blood. Normal range for hematocrit is different between the sexes and is approximately 45% to 52% for men and 37% to 48% for women.

Egiarte Cantudo

Pundit

What is MCV in blood test?

MCV stands for mean corpuscular volume. An MCV blood test measures the average size of your red blood cells, also known as erythrocytes. Red blood cells move oxygen from your lungs to every cell in your body. Your cells need oxygen to grow, reproduce, and stay healthy.

Macedon Venner

Teacher

How do you do a peripheral smear?

Well-made peripheral smears can be prepared by starting with only a drop of blood at one end of a clean glass slide. The drop is smeared lightly and quickly with a wedge technique so as to leave a thin "feather" edge where all cells may be examined individually, particularly red blood cells.

Lacy Lindenmann

Teacher

How do you get peripheral blood?

A tourniquet is placed around the upper arm to allow blood to collect in the veins, making the veins easier to find and puncture. The skin is then sanitized, usually the inside of the elbow. A sterile needle is then inserted into a vein, and attached to a collection container, typically a tube.

Theresia Sparrow

Teacher

Can Tear Drop cells be normal?

The presence of teardrop-shaped cells may indicate: Myelofibrosis. Severe iron deficiency. Anemia caused by bone marrow not producing normal blood cells due to toxins or tumor cells (myelophthisic process)

Luella Zoe

Teacher

What is a normal nucleated red blood cell count?

Nucleated RBCs, (NRBCs) are in the peripheral. blood of normal infants up to the fifth day of life.1. At birth, 3 to 10 NRBCs per 100 WBCs are present.

Albita Toste

Reviewer

What is bone marrow?

Bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside some of your bones, such as your hip and thigh bones. It contains stem cells. The stem cells can develop into the red blood cells that carry oxygen through your body, the white blood cells that fight infections, and the platelets that help with blood clotting.

Vitalij Kingdon

Reviewer

What is MCH in blood test?

MCH stands for “mean corpuscular hemoglobin.” An MCH value refers to the average quantity of hemoglobin present in a single red blood cell. Hemoglobin is the protein in your red blood cells that transports oxygen to the tissues of your body. MCH results tend to mirror MCV results.

Viacheslav Cerdera

Reviewer

What does a blood smear test for?

A blood smear is a blood test used to look for abnormalities in blood cells. The three main blood cells that the test focuses on are: red cells, which carry oxygen throughout your body. white cells, which help your body fight infections and other inflammatory diseases.

Girolamo Salema

Reviewer

What is the difference between thick and thin blood smear?

A thick blood smear is a drop of blood on a glass slide. Thick blood smears are most useful for detecting the presence of parasites, because they examine a larger sample of blood. A thin blood smear is a drop of blood that is spread across a large area of the slide.