Purpose and criteria for blood smear scan, blood smear examination, and blood smear review

• Published in: Annals of laboratory medicine Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Gulati, Gene, Song, Jinming, Florea, Alina Dulau, Gong, Jerald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Society for Laboratory Medicine 01-01-2013; 대한진단검사의학회
• Subjects: Blood Cell Count; Hematologic Tests - methods; Humans; Leukocyte Count; Leukocytes - cytology; Medical Laboratory Personnel - standards; Review; 병리학; Blood smear scan; Blood smear examination; Blood smear review
• ISSN: 2234-3806; 2234-3814
• DOI: 10.3343/alm.2013.33.1.1

A microscopic examination of an appropriately prepared and well-stained blood smear by a knowledgeable laboratory professional is necessary and clinically useful in a number of circumstances and for a variety of reasons. In this article, an attempt is made to delineate the purpose and criteria for blood smear examination in a variety of circumstances that are encountered in everyday laboratory hematology practice. A blood smear scan serves to at least (a) verify the flagged automated hematology results and (b) determine if a manual differential leukocyte count needs to be performed. Blood smear examination/manual differential leukocyte count with complete blood count (CBC) provides the complete hematologic picture of the case, at least from the morphologic standpoint. Blood smear review with or without interpretation serves to ensure that no clinically significant finding is missed, besides providing diagnosis or diagnostic clue(s), particularly if and when interpreted by a physician.