Peripheral Smear Examination

This is a procedure where a sample of blood is viewed under a microscope for different blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc. The morphology (size of the cell, shape of the blood cells) of these cells are then studied to evaluate blood related problems. Peripheral smear is examined for problems like anaemia, jaundice, blood-related cancers, sickle cell disease, causes of enlargement of the spleen, liver, or lymph nodes and occasionally, for detecting parasites such as malaria and filarial in the blood stream.