Blood smear preparation:
– Diagnosed by presence of organism in peripheral blood smear
– A very large drop of blood is placed in center of glass slide
– Drop is spread with corner of another slide or cover slip until it is
the size of a dime
– Allow to dry for a minimum of 2 hours before staining
– Must be taken from tube within 1 hour of drawing
– “Feather” : the thinnest area of a blood film