Blood smear

1. C M AC M A Cooperative Medical Assistance
(CMA)
BLOOD SMEAR
PREPARATION AND EVALUATION

2. C M AC M A Overview
•Blood Smear Preparation
•Blood Smear Evaluation

3. C M AC M A Blood Smear Preparation
•Materials and Supplies
–Sample (EDTA)
–Slides
–Fixative, Buffer and Stain
•Diff-Quik
•Water

4. C M AC M A A drop of blood is placed on a clean
microscope slide.
Push-smear Technique

5. C M AC M A A spreader slide is used to “feather” the drop
of blood.

6. C M AC M A Diff-Quik Technique
FIXATIVE About 5 minutes
Solution 1 8-10 dips
(1 second each)
Solution 2 6-8 dips
(1 second each)
Water Rinse till clean

7. C M AC M A Staining

8. C M AC M A Microscopic Evaluation
10X objective

9. C M AC M A Erythrocyte (RBC)
•RBC estimate
•Cell morphology

10. C M AC M A Total RBCs
SpeciesAverage (x10
6
)Range (x10
6
)
Horse 8.0 6 -12
Cattle 7.0 5 –10
Sheep 12.0 8 –15
Goat 13.0 8 –17

11. C M AC M A Thrombocyte
•Platelets
•Small cell fragments that are responsible
for blood clotting

12. C M AC M A Total Platelets
Species Range
Horse 100,000 –600,000
Cattle 100,000 –800,000
Sheep 250,000 –750,000
Goat 300,000 –600,000

13. C M AC M A RBC Morphology
•Morphology of Erythrocytes can be
categorized according to:
–Cell arrangements
–Size
–Color
–Shape
–Presence of structures in or on the RBC

14. C M AC M A MCH and MCHC
•Normochromic
–describe the
erythrocyte as
normal range
•Hypochromic
–below the range

15. C M AC M A Anisocytosis
-Variation in size of RBC’s

16. C M AC M A Acanthocytes
•Abnormal blunt projections on the cell wall
•Burr or spur cells
•Alteration in the cell membrane

17. C M AC M A Shistocyte
•Fragmented RBC’s

18. C M AC M A Rouleaux
•Formation where
RBCs stack
•Commonly seen in
horses, rarely seen in
ruminants
•May increase with
inflammatory disease

19. C M AC M A Poikilocytosis
•Abnormal shape of
RBC’s
•Variation in shape of
the RBCs
•May represent
formational defects or
mechanical or toxic
damage

20. C M AC M A Crenation
•Mostly an artifact of
preparation and not
due to cellular
changes
•Slow drying of blood
film
•Cell shrinkage

21. C M AC M A Target Cells
•Appearance of a
“target” or thicker,
dark-staining center
surrounded by a
light stained area
and dark periphery
•Most common with
chronic disease

22. C M AC M A Leukocyte (WBC)
•WBC estimate
•WBC differential
•WBC morphology

23. C M AC M A Total WBC
Species Average Range (cells/cu mm)
Horse 9,250 6,000 –14,000
Cattle 8,000 4,000 –12,000
Sheep 9,000 4,000 –12,000
Goat 12,000 6,000 –13,000

24. C M AC M A WBC Differential
Band Segmented
Neutrophils Neutrophils Lymphocyte
Horse 0 –1 30 –75 25 –60
Cow 0 –2 15 –45 45 –75
Sheep Rare 10 –50 40 –75
Goat Rare 30 –48 50 –70
Differential range (%)

25. C M AC M A WBC Differential
Average differential range (%)
MonocyteEosinophilBasophil
Horse 1 –8 5 –10 0 –3
Cow 2 –7 2 –20 0 –2
Sheep 0 –6 0 –10 0 –3
Goat 0 –4 1 –8 0 –1

26. C M AC M A WBCs
•Granulocytes
–Eosinophils
–Neutrophils
–Basophils
•Agranulocytes
–Lymphocytes
–Monocytes

27. C M AC M A Eosinophils
•Help in controlling
allergic and or
anaphylactic
reactions
•Distinct red staining
granules
•Segmented nucleus

28. C M AC M A Neutrophils
•Predominant
WBC
•Phagocytic and
bactericidal
•10 hour life span
in circulating
blood

29. C M AC M A Basophils
•Segmented nucleus
•Purple to blue-black granules

30. C M AC M A Lymphocytes
•Small to medium size mononuclear cells
•Slight cytoplasm, stains blue

31. C M AC M A Monocytes
•Derived from bone marrow
•Largest circulating cell
•Found only briefly in circulation before entering
tissues and becoming a macrophage

32. C M AC M A •Nucleated RBCs
•Inclusion Bodies
•Parasites
•Bacterias

33. C M AC M A Nucleated RBC
•Represent early release of immature cells
during anemia.

34. C M AC M A Babesia
–Large teardrop-shaped intracellular
protozoan
–Frequently seen in pairs

35. C M AC M A Rickettsial
Parasite found in RBCs

36. C M AC M A Trypanosomes

37. C M AC M A Anthrax

38. C M AC M A ANAPLASMOSIS
Rickettsial disease of ruminants