DOBLES, Hilarmina Marie P.

Score:
Hematology 1 Lab Section A 27 Sept 2020
TOPIC: Basic Laboratory Practice: Blood Specimen Collection and Blood Smear Preparation &
Staining
Task 2.1 After watching the video, list the different sites for capillary blood collection and the
corresponding depth of puncture

Age Site Depth

Children up to 6 months Heel Less than 2.0 mm

Children less than 12 months Finger Less than 1.5 mm

Children less than 8 years Finger Less than 2.0 mm

Adults Finger Less than 2.4 mm

DOBLES, Hilarmina Marie P. Score:
Hematology 1 Lab Section A 27 Sept 2020
TOPIC: Basic Laboratory Practice: Blood Specimen Collection and Blood Smear Preparation &
Staining
Task 2.2 After watching the video, list the do’s and don’ts when preparing a blood smear.

According to How to Make a Perfect Blood Smear (Spicy MedTech, 2019), these are the
following do’s and don’t that can be inferred:

DO’S DON’TS

• Make sure the blood smear has a
thick film to a thin film.
• Let the blood smear only occupy
2/3 of the slide.
• The smear should not touch the
edges.
• No holes.
• Be mindful and follow correct
ASAP (angle, speed, amount,
pressure).
• The angle of the spreader slide is
either too shallow or steep.
• Spreading of the blood is too fast
or slow.
• Amount of blood placed on the
slide is too little or too much.
• Pressure exerted onto the slide is
too hard or too light.
DOBLES, Hilarmina Marie P. Score:
Hematology 1 Lab Section A 27 Sept 2020
TOPIC: Basic Laboratory Practice: Blood Specimen Collection and Blood Smear Preparation &
Staining
Task 2.3 After watching the video, list the solutions used and describe how the blood smear was stained.

The stains used in the video was Giemsa stain and Wright stain. First, the blood smear was done.
A drop of blood was put onto the slide. The person doing the demonstration then took the spreader slide
and spread the blood droplet into a smear in a quick and light manner. The blood smear was then air
dried. The next step done was to put the blood smear slide into methanol. After five minutes, the slide
was taken out to air dry. The slide was transferred onto a staining tray and Wright stain was dripped onto
the whole slide for 2 minutes. The slide was shaken gently during incubation.
After that, the same volume of distilled water was added onto the slide for 2 minutes. Again, it
was shaken gently during incubation. The slide was taken to the faucet to rinse off the stain until a
pinkish red color was seen at the edges of the slide. The slide was put back onto the staining tray and the
Giemsa stain was dripped onto the slide for one minute, and the slide was shaken gently during
incubation. The slide was then rinsed off again with water. After rinsing, it was dipped into 0.5% acetic
acid solution to wash the slide. Lastly it was air dried and mounted.
DOBLES, Hilarmina Marie P. Score:
Hematology 1 Lab Section A 27 Sept 2020
TOPIC: Basic Laboratory Practice: Blood Specimen Collection and Blood Smear Preparation &
Staining
Task 2.4 After watching the video, compare the staining technique with that of the technique shown in
the previous video.

Wright and Giemsa Stain (Abnova, 2010) Diff Quick Staining (UMN CVM Clinical
Skills, 2017)
• Wright stain & Giemsa stain were used to • A commercial Romanowsky stain
stain the slide. (Eosin & Methylene Blue).

• The slide had to be immersed in methanol • The slide was dipped into the solutions
for five minutes. (fixative and stains) for only seconds.

• Wright stain was given two minutes to
incubate and distilled water was added to
the slide.
• The Giemsa stain was given one minute to
incubate on the slide.
• There was no washing in-between the
stains; the slide was only allowed to
tap off the excess solution onto a
tissue.

• There were times the slide had to be air

dried.

• The slide was washed before the next stain

was used.
DOBLES, Hilarmina Marie P. Score:
Hematology 1 Lab Section A 27 Sept 2020
TOPIC: Basic Laboratory Practice: Blood Specimen Collection and Blood Smear Preparation &
Staining
References:

Spicy MedTech. (2019, November 25). How to Make a Perfect Blood Smear | Spicy MedTech |
Blood Smear Tutorial [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8fos4zWSII.

Abnova. (2010, December 30). Wright and Giemsa Stain [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xBcm-1NMqk.

UMN CVM Clinical Skills. (2017, July 18). Diff Quick Staining [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y27TvaJMKRE.

LabsForLifeProject. (2018, June 7). Capillary Blood Collection [Video file]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVRj7CWFj9A.