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 is the clinical significance of preparing a blood film?
A blood smear is often used as a follow-up
test to abnormal results
on a complete blood count (CBC) to evaluate the different types of blood cells. It may be used to help diagnose and/or monitor numerous conditions that affect blood cell populations.
What can peripheral blood smear diagnose?
- Anemia.
- Jaundice.
- Sickle cell disease.
- Thrombocytopenia.
- Malaria.
- Sudden kidney failure.
- G6PD deficiency.
- Certain cancers.
When should you have a peripheral smear?
You may need a blood smear
if you have abnormal results on a complete blood count (CBC)
. A CBC is a routine test that measures many different parts of your blood. Your health care provider may also order a blood smear if you have symptoms of a blood disorder.
What is the significance of blasts on a peripheral blood film?
The presence of blasts in the peripheral blood is traditionally always been associated with
a haematological disorder
. Depending on the number of blasts one can categorize the disorders into various categories like if there are ≥20% blasts a diagnosis of Acute Leukemia is confirmed.
What does an abnormal blood smear mean?
A blood smear is considered abnormal when
there’s an abnormality in the size, shape, color, or number of cells in your blood
. Abnormal results may vary depending on the type of blood cell affected.
What does a blood film test show?
A blood film examination allows
the evaluation of white blood cells (WBCs, leucocytes), red blood cells (RBCs, erythrocytes), and platelets (thrombocytes)
. These cell populations are produced and mature in the bone marrow and are eventually released into the bloodstream as needed.
Can a blood smear detect leukemia?
For the peripheral blood smear (sometimes just called a smear), a drop of blood is smeared across a slide and then looked at under a microscope to see how the cells look. Changes in the numbers and the
appearance
of the cells often help diagnose leukemia.
Why peripheral smear test is done?
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 is the meaning of peripheral smear?
Listen to pronunciation. (peh-RIH-feh-rul blud smeer)
A procedure in which a sample of blood is viewed under a microscope to count different circulating blood cells
(red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc.)
How long does it take to get results from a blood smear test?
The blood smear is a quick test. Your doctor may draw blood from your arm or by pricking your finger. You usually get the results in
one to two days
.
How long does a peripheral 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.
Is peripheral smear the same as differential?
The smear review
is performed same as manual differential
but rather than quantitating the different types of cells the technologist will look for abnormal cells and semiquantitate (few,moderate,many) if present.
Do blast cells always mean leukemia?
The most immature cells are called myeloblasts (or blasts). The percentage of blasts in the bone marrow or blood is particularly important. Having at least 20% blasts in the marrow or blood is generally required for a diagnosis of AML.
What does the presence of blast cells mean?
It happens when young abnormal white blood cells called blasts (
leukemia cells
), begin to fill up the bone marrow , preventing normal blood production. Doctors diagnose AML when 20 out of every 100 white blood cells in the bone marrow is a blast cell .
What are blast cells in CBC?
A CBC test can find
leukemic blood cells
, which are called blasts. It can also detect changes in the amount of any type of blood cell. Finding any one of these changes in the blood can suggest the presence of leukemia.
