A reproducible blood smear review requires that every peripheral smear be prepared for consistent cellular distribution and proper clarity. Well-made peripheral smears can be prepared by starting with only a drop of blood at one end of a clean glass slide. The drop is smeared lightly and quickly with a wedge technique to leave a thin "feather" edge where all cells, particularly red blood cells, may be examined individually.
After staining the slide, the examination begins. The examination site is chosen away from clumping, piling, or stacking the red blood cells. This can most likely be observed at five or six oil fields from the end of the feathery portion (about 100 red cells per field). Such an area for examination is illustrated in the image at the bottom right.
