Peripheral Blood Smear
A test in which a drop of blood is spread on a glass slide, stained, and looked at under a microscope to see the size, shape and number of your blood cells.
Peripheral Blood Smear
A test in which a drop of blood is spread on a glass slide, stained, and looked at under a microscope to see the size, shape and number of your blood cells.
Also known as
- Blood film
- Peripheral smear
What it measures
- Appearance of red blood cells
- Appearance of white blood cells
- Appearance of platelets
Why a doctor may order it
A doctor may ask for it when a complete blood count (CBC) is abnormal, or if you have symptoms that could come from a condition affecting your blood cells, such as fatigue or jaundice. It is used with other tests to help diagnose and monitor blood disorders and other conditions.
What it helps evaluate
It can give more information about what your blood cells look like. A blood smear alone cannot diagnose a disease.
Preparation
No special preparation is needed. If other blood tests are ordered on the same sample, you may need to fast for several hours.
Fasting
Only needed if other tests on the same sample require it.
Important considerations
- It is often done after an unusual CBC result, to look more closely at the cells.
Discuss results with your doctor
Talk to a doctor about your symptoms and about what your results mean — a single result is not a diagnosis. See a doctor promptly for severe or worsening symptoms.