WBC Smears

[Jimmy Lowery II]

Hello! I’m a long-time blood banker who has recently entered the world of microbiology. This forum has been such a great resource during my time in transfusion, so I’m hoping that the microbiology folks could answer a few questions related to WBC smears. I am interested in learning more about the workflow for this test and how these are prepared and read in different facilities.

In your facility, are these typically done in microbiology or hematology?

What stain are you using for WBC smears in your lab?

[Joshua]

Hey Jim, what kind of smears are you referring to, like fecal leukocytes, hematology smears, gram stains, smears for eosinophils? Josh

[Jimmy Lowery II]

Hi Joshua!

Thanks for the question. I'm looking for more information on current processes and workflows for fecal WBC smears.

 

[SbbPerson ☆]

On 11/9/2023 at 7:51 AM, Jimmy Lowery II said:

Hello! I’m a long-time blood banker who has recently entered the world of microbiology. This forum has been such a great resource during my time in transfusion, so I’m hoping that the microbiology folks could answer a few questions related to WBC smears. I am interested in learning more about the workflow for this test and how these are prepared and read in different facilities.

In your facility, are these typically done in microbiology or hematology?

What stain are you using for WBC smears in your lab?

 

We use the same stain we use for hematology slides, wright-geimsa. If we see WBCs, the result is a qualitative "present" or "none seen".  Usually, if there is an infection, it will be mostly neutrophils.