1. Davidson,I.andHenryJ.,ClinicalDiagnosisbyLaboratoryMethods,I.DavidsohnandJ.Henry,eds.,W.B.SaundersCo.,Philadelphia1974,pp.135-137.
2. Wintrobe,M.W.,etal.,ClinicalHematology,Lea&Febiger,Philadelphia,1974,p.26.

PeripheralbloodorpotassiumEDTAanticoagulatedblood(1to2mgEDTA/1mlblood)maybeused.Smearsofperipheralbloodmustbemadeimmediately.SmearsmaybemadefromEDTA-anticoagulatedbloodaslongastwotothreehoursaftercollection.Allspecimensmustbefreeofclots.

1. Anticoagulatedspecimensmustbecheckedwithtwoapplicatorstickstobesurenoclotsarepresent.Ifclotsarepresentthespecimenisunsatisfactory.
2. Asmalldropofbloodisplacedonthesurfaceofacleanglassslideneartheend.Ifbloodistakenfromthefinger,caremustbetakentoavoidtouchingtheslidetotheskin.
3. Theslideisheldbetweentwofingersandthethumbofthelefthandwiththedripofbloodontheuppersurfacetowardstheright.(Reverseforthelefthandedindividual).
4. Anedgeofthespreaderslideisplacedonthefirstslidetotheleftofthedropofbloodandispulledtotheedgeofthedrop.Theanglebetweenthetwoslideswillvaryaccordingtothesizeofthedropandtheviscosityoftheblood.Thelargerthedropandthelowerthehematocritoftheblood,thegreatertheanglemustbetoavoidrunningofftheslidewhenspreADIng.Bloodwithahighhematocritmustbespreadwithalowerangleorthesmearwillbeshortandtoothicktoallowdifferentiationofcells.Theapproximateanglefornormalbloodis30to40degrees.
5. Thedropofbloodshouldbeallowedtobankevenlybehindthespreaderwhichisthenpushedtotheleftinasmooth,quickmotion.Themorerapidthemotion,theshorterandthickerthesmear.Thesmearshouldcoverapproximatelyhalftheslidewithagradualtransitionfromthicktothin.Noridgesshouldbepresentandtheend(calledthe"featheredge")shouldbesmoothandeven.Inthefeatheredgetheredbloodcellsshouldnotberoutinelyoverlapped.
6. Thesmearislabeledonthefrostededgeoftheslideorthethickendofthebloodwiththepatient"slastname,firstname,specimennumberanddate.
7. Whenthesmeariscompletelydried,itmaybestainedbyusingtheautomatedHema-TekIISlideStainer.AutomatedMethod:
   • Theairdriedsmearisfixedwithabsolutemethoanolandplacedonastainingrack.
   • Allowslidetodrycompletely.
   • Primestainerlinestoremoveairbubbles.
   • Placedriedsmearonstainer.

Strictadherencetoprocedureandvisualcheckofthequalityofstainedslides.