Specimen Type/Requirements

Glass Slides - 3 Thick and 3 Thin Peripheral Blood Smears  (Minimum of 3 Thick and 3 Thin Smears)

Smear Instructions:  Prepare thick smears by placing one drop of blood from a fingerstick or the tip of phlebotomy needle onto the end of a slide.  Spread the blood around with the corner of another slide to make the smear the size of a dime.  A proper thick smear is thin enough that print can be read through it.  Prepare thin smears in the same manner in which a smear for differential is made.

 Blood from an EDTA tube is acceptable for making smears also. Smears need to be made within 2 hours of sample collection