Troubleshooting Blood Smears - Key Notes

Tails or jags at the tip of the smear
- Too much pressure applied to the spreader.
- Edge of spreader damaged.
- Spreader lifted before end of smear.
- Spreader pushed too fast.
Square tailed rather than thumb shaped smear
- Too much time allowed for the blood to flow to the edge of the spreader.
Tail of smear frayed / clumps evident
- Autoagglutination in the red cells.
- Platelet clumps.
- Partial clotting of the red cells.
Smear too short
- Polycythaemic blood.
- Spreader angle too great.
- Spreader pushed too fast.
- Too little blood.
Smear too long
- Anaemia.
- Spreader angle too small.
- Too much blood.

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