What is the most common reason for blood films having red cells ...

[DelorasTo]

What is the most common reason for blood films having red cells that are gray and white cells that are too dark?
 
  a. Overrinsing
  b. Buffering for too short a time
  c. Stain or buffer is too acidic
  d. Stain or buffer is too alkaline

Question 2

Methods, such as using a fan to dry blood films faster, are especially important when:
 
  a. The patient is very anemic or high humidity exists.
  b. The patient has polycythemia or high humidity exists.
  c. The sample is over 6 hours old.
  d. No one is available to blow on the blood film.

[macagnavarro]

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
When the stain or buffer it too alkaline, red cells will be gray and white cells will stain too darkly for good morphologic evaluation.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: A
When the blood film dries slowly on the slide, red cell and drying artifacts make it extremely difficult to evaluate red blood cell (RBC) morphology. Humidity adds to this problem, as does the high plasma volume found in an anemic patient. Drying the slide with a fan can be beneficial.

[DelorasTo]

Excellent

[scottmt]

Thanks for the timely response, appreciate it