Select Page

Mastering your blood smear technique

Blood smears are a great aid when investigating sudden death or ill thrift.

Tips from the WA lab for preparing smears include:

  • Collect in an EDTA tube
  • Blood drops ~4 mm (not too big)
  • Angle (at 30-40o) /Speed (not too fast, not too slow) / Even contact
  • Air dry, do not stain.

See their poster for more details or visit the DPIRD website.

Above: Smears left to right: 1 perfect, 2 interrupted, 3 skewed, 4 droplet too thick, 5 too short (DAFWA 2014)
Above: How to run the blood drop along the slide (Cornell University)