What is a smear blood test?
What is a smear blood test?
A blood smear is a snapshot of the cells that are present in the blood at the time the sample is obtained. The blood smear allows for the evaluation of these cells: White blood cells (WBCs, leukocytes) — help fight infections or participate in immune responses.
What are the three types of smear examination?
THREE TYPES OF SMEAR EXAMINATION
- Blood Smear Scan (BSS), Synonyms: platelet scan, platelet estimate, blood smear examination without a DIFF.
- Blood Smear Examination (BSE), Synonyms: manual DIFF, DIFF.
- Blood Smear Review (BSR), Synonyms: blood smear interpretation, physician review of blood smear.
What is normal blood smear?
A blood smear is considered normal when your blood contains a sufficient number of cells and the cells have a normal appearance. A blood smear is considered abnormal when there’s an abnormality in the size, shape, color, or number of cells in your blood.
What does a peripheral smear show?
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.
What kind of edge is needed for a smear?
feathered edge
Note – blood is being dragged behind the spreader slide, not in front of the slide. An optimal smear is ¾ the length of the slide and has a feathered edge. Leave the slide to air dry and make more smears if required.
What is a normal platelet count for a healthy person?
What is a healthy platelet count? A normal platelet count ranges from 150,000 to 450,000 platelets per microliter of blood. Having more than 450,000 platelets is a condition called thrombocytosis; having less than 150,000 is known as thrombocytopenia.
What are the characteristics of a good blood smear?
The blood smear must not be too thin or too thick and the tail of the smear must be smooth. The perfect quality smear is influ- enced by three factors: speed, angle and drop size. thinner the smear will be. The slower the slide is moved, the shorter and thicker the slide will be.
What diseases require a peripheral blood smear?
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.
Do doctors know how a person gets leukemia?
By looking at a sample of your blood, your doctor can determine if you have abnormal levels of red or white blood cells or platelets — which may suggest leukemia. A blood test may also show the presence of leukemia cells, though not all types of leukemia cause the leukemia cells to circulate in the blood.