Search

Haematological investigation is an important component of stress and immune response assessment and holds great potential for evaluating amphibian welfare. The olm (Proteus anguinus) is a neotenic, cave-dwelling salamander endemic to the Dinaric Karst and classified as a vulnerable species by the IUCN. The aim of the present study was to gain basic knowledge about the haematology of this endangered species and to establish reference values of leucocyte differential counts. Blood smears were obtained from recently captured animals and compared to smears from the same animals in long-term captivity (up to five years). The elongated erythrocytes are nucleated and are among the largest in vertebrates, which is also reflected in their lower concentration per millilitre of blood. The circulating blood can contain mitotically active, immature erythrocytes (erythroblasts), indicating that erythrocytes of the olm can undergo proliferation and maturation in circulating blood. Olms show a typical urodele leucocyte profile, with lymphocytes predominating, followed by neutrophils, although the proportion of lymphocytes is higher than in other urodeles. Eosinophil and monocyte counts were relatively low, while basophils were nearly absent. We found no statistically significant differences in leucocyte counts or in neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio neither between recently captured olms and same animals during captivity nor between the sexes, except for lower neutrophil count in captive females. Thus, no differences in stress levels between recently captured olms and captive olms were detected via haematological investigations. The significance of these results is discussed in the context of detecting stress and immune responses in olms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Assiut Veterinary Medical Journal is the property of Egyptian National Agricultural Library (ENAL) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Microscopy of stained blood smears is still a ubiquitous technique in pathology. It is often used in addition to automated electronic counters or flow cytometers to evaluate leukocytes and their morphologies in a rather simple manner and has low requirements for resources and equipment. However, despite the constant advances in microscopy, computer science, and pathology, it still usually follows the traditional approach of manual assessment by humans. We aimed to extend this technique using AI-based automated cell recognition methods while maintaining its technical simplicity. Using the web platform IKOSA, we developed an AI-based workflow to segment and identify all blood cells in DAPI-Giemsa co-stained blood smears. Thereby, we could automatically detect and classify neutrophils (young and segmented), lymphocytes, eosinophils, and monocytes, in addition to erythrocytes and platelets, in contrast to previously published algorithms, which usually focus on only one type of blood cell. Furthermore, our method delivers quantitative measurements, unattainable by the classical method or formerly published AI techniques, and it provides more sophisticated analyses based on entropy or gray-level co-occurrence matrices (GLCMs), which have the potential to monitor changes in internal cellular structures associated with disease states or responses to treatment. We conclude that AI-based automated blood cell evaluation has the potential to facilitate and improve routine diagnostics by adding quantitative shape and structure parameters to simple leukocyte counts of classical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukocyte profiles are broadly used to assess the health status of many species. Reference intervals, and an understanding of the factors that may influence these intervals, are necessary for adequate interpretation of leukograms. Using a data set that spans over three decades, we investigated variation in leukocyte profile in several populations of the evolutionarily unique reptile, the tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus). To do this, we first established reference intervals for each leukocyte type according to best practices. Next, we determined that source population and sampling date were the two most important predictors of leukocyte makeup. We found significant differences in the ratio of heterophils: lymphocytes (H:L) between populations, with tuatara on the more resource‐stressed sampling island having a significantly higher ratio of H:L. Finally, we found that sampling location, sex, and life stage did not explain variation in the responses of tuatara to stimulation with Concanavalin A and lipopolysaccharide in both 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐di‐phenyltetrazolium bromide and Griess assay experiments. Our results offer important insight into the function of leukocytes in reptiles. Research Highlight: We established leukocyte reference intervals for tuatara and found that island and sampling date were the most important predictors of leukocyte makeup. Tuatara in more resource‐stressed populations had higher H:L ratios, but were able to mount immune response despite poor body condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to find out the allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 among gold miners in Central Kalimantan Province, Indonesia using parasites' DNA isolated from archived RDT and GSBS Methods: This study was done using the samples collected between 2017-2020 from health centers in Subdistrict of Mihing Raya, Danau Rawah, and Bukit Hindu as well as Kapuas District Health Laboratory in Central Kalimantan Province, Surabaya, Indonesia. Parasites DNA were isolated from RDT cartridges and GSBS of local and migrant gold miners. Species of Plasmodium were confirmed by single step PCR. The allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 (K1, MAD20, RO33) and Pfmsp-2 (3D7, FC27) were analyzed by nested PCR. Results: Pfmsp-1 gene was found in only two (22.22%) out of 9 local samples, and 3 (27.27%) out of 11 migrant samples were found positive for K1 (150 bp) as well as MAD 20 (190 bp) allelic families. Pfmsp-2 gene were found in each one sample of 550 bp fragment in local (11.11%) and migrant samples (9.09%) for 3D7, and 2 samples of 300 bp fragments in local (22.22%) and 3 samples of 300 bp in migrant samples (27.27%). No difference in size and number of infections between both populations. The RO33 allelic family Alhamdulillah was not found in any sample. Conclusion: Low allelic variation of Pfmsp-1 and Pfmsp-2 genes with monogenotype indicated the low intensity of malaria transmission among gold miners in the studied areas. Further, the transmission may occur locally in the mining sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interesting clinical case of leptospirosis infection in an elderly woman with a professional way of getting infection on the background of alcohol abuse has been described. The authors emphasized the clinical features of this bacterial zoonosis, considered aspects of differential diagnosis of leptospirosis with other common infectious diseases. It has been emphasized on the intricacies of a detailed epidemiological anamnesis taking in order to identify and evaluate biorisk factors for pathogenic leptospira contamination in a particular occupational environment. It has been pointed out the necessity of a complex laboratory-instrumental investigation in the infectious hospital, since the delay of hospitalization and adequate treatment can worsen the prognosis for a favorable outcome of the clinical case and recovery. Such specific laboratory methods for verifying leptospiras in the blood of patients as a reaction of microagglutination and lysis with a kit of leptospira and bacterioscopic examination of a smear in the dark field are of high sensitivity and specificity and therefore are widely used in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trypanosomiasis or surra is a disease caused by blood parasite of Trypanosoma evansi. Trypanosomiasis disease in Indonesia includes Strategic Diseases of Infectious Diseases (SDID). The purpose of this study is to detect Trypanosomiasis in horses in Bima, Indonesia. A total of 90 horse blood samples were used for the study. Sample examination using blood smears technique with Giemsa staining and Card Agglutination Test of Trypanosoma evansi (CATT). The result of examination of blood samples by microscope obtained 3 positive samples infected T. evansi and by CATT obtained 1 positive samples containing antibodies against T. evansi. It was concluded that trypanosomiasis in horses in Bima was 3.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small ruminants (sheep and goats) in Asian agriculture system maintain a valuable biological and economical role. Theileriosis, a tick borne disease considered major deterrents in health and productive performance of small ruminants. Both domestic and wild small ruminants of tropical world are infected with Theileria species infection. Ticks and Tick-borne diseases caused annual loß of USS 7000million throughout the world.Two Theileria species Theileria ovis and Theileria lestoquardi are responsible for ovine theileriosis in Pakistan. Information about ovine theileriosis is limited and further research is needed to understand its epidemiology.In present study PCR aßay was used to diagnose the prevalence of theileriosis and potential risk factors involvedin the spread of theileriosis in small ruminants from district Multan, Pakistan. Out of 300 collected blood samples of sheep and goats from different herds,PCR amplification revealed 17.0% samples positive or Theileria species infection while microscopy revealed only 3.7 % samples positive. Out of 51 positive samples,T. ovisandT. lestoquardi wasdiagnosed 60.8% and 35.2 % respectively while two animals (4.0%) had mixed infection of both Theilria species based on PCR. Theileriaspecies infection observed significantly (p ?0.05)higherin sheep (24.66%) than in goats (9.33%).The prevalence of T. ovisand T. lestoquardiwas higher in sheep (14% and 9.4%) compared to goats (5.3% and 4.0%) while mixed infection of both species was found (1.33%) only in blood samples collected from sheep. The herds consisting sheep only and age of the studied animalswas found statistical significant (p < 0.05) for the spread of ovine theileriosis.The results revealed that PCR is sensitive and specific molecular tool for the investigation of ovine theileriosis and can be used for screening of piroplasms in small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lymphocytosis and smudge cells are commonly observed on the blood smears of patients with an established or suspected diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma. Excluding smudge cells from the manual differential count (MDIFF), a common laboratory practice, yields unreliable results and consequently necessitates performing the MDIFF testing on an albuminized blood smear. Objective: To assess the reliability of counting smudge cells as lymphocytes in the MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears and automated differentials (ADIFFs) as a substitute for MDIFFs. Methods: We compared corresponding results of MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears vs MDIFFs on albuminized smears (group A, n = 82), ADIFFs vs MDIFFs on nonalbuminized smears (group B, n = 68), and ADIFF vs MDIFFs on albuminized smears (group C, n = 50). Smudge cells on the nonalbuminized smears were counted as lymphocytes. We focused on 2 white blood cell types: neutrophils and lymphocytes. Results: Respective means for % lymphocytes and % neutrophils were 83.2 vs 83.2 and 14.0 vs 13.6 for Group A, 75.0 vs 77.0 and 20.2 vs 19.8 for Group B, and 76.1 vs 79.3 and 18.7 vs 17.4 for Group C. Respective correlation coefficients for % lymphocytes and % neutrophils were 0.92 and 0.94 for group A, 0.94 and 0.97 for group B, and 0.88 and 0.92 for group C. Conclusion: Counting smudge cells as lymphocytes on nonalbuminized blood smears yielded reliable MDIFF results. Reportable ADIFF results were generated by the analyzer on 73% of the specimens, of which 93% were reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The automated identification of markers in medical imaging is one of the issues proposed in recent years for many tasks with wide application in digital image analysis, but there is no universal algorithm for this. We introduce here a low computational cost system based on the Radon transform (RT) to determine markers for watershed segmentation purposes in nearly circular structures of grey‐scale images such as the red blood cells in images obtained by optical light microscopy of blood smears. The search for markers is performed based on the ability of the RT to detect shape parameters and characterise their behaviour in circular structures. The circular structure edge was determined previously in order to apply the direct RT and after that the sinogram projections were filtered utilising a matched filter. Then, an image with peaks close to the circular structures' centres is obtained by means of the reverse RT. After this, a threshold is calculated and applied in order to identify the markers. The reached precision was 97.4%, which is comparable with results within the state of the art, and the F‐measure was 0.925. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prospectively examined the effectiveness of diagnostic tests for anaplasmosis using patients with suspected diagnoses in France. PCR (sensitivity 0.74, specificity 1) was the best-suited test. Serology had a lower specificity but higher sensitivity when testing acute and convalescent samples. PCR and serology should be used in combination for anaplasmosis diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, the peripheral blood cells (erythrocytes, leucocytes and thrombocytes) morphology of Emys orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata were examined in the blood smears prepared using Wright's stain and the erythrocyte number was conducted as well. In E. orbicularis, the average of erythrocyte length was measured as 20.1µm, width 12.7µm and size 200.8µm²; while in M. rivulata these were measured as 19.3µm, 12.3µm, and 186.7µm ² respectively. The fact that agranulocytes (lymphocytes and monocytes) were dominant cells; nucleus cannot be distinguished in eosinophiles and basophiles due to intensive granulation in cytoplasm; thrombocytes are flat, ellipsoid cells were observed in the blood smears. In 1mm³ blood, the average erythrocyte count in E. orbicularis was 430,666 and 467,500 in M. rivulata, and the erythrocyte count was established to be higher in males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research was carried out during 3 months from early June through late August, in northern zones of Iran. In addition, the present study was performed on 300 sheep and goats, in which 50 specimens were isolated based on clinical signs, blood smears and lymph node puncture. The results indicated clinical signs of theileriosis in sheep (with more prominent signs) and goats were diagnosable. The reliable clinical signs in sheep and goats included fever, tachycardia, cough, increased respiratory rate, mucosal pallor, anorexia, ruminal hypomotility and lymph node enlargement. Furthermore, the frequency of cough, abnormal pulmonary sounds, anorexia and ruminal hypomotility were significantly more in sheep than goats ( P < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine and optimize the sensitivity of the CellaVision DM96 automated image-analysis system in detecting platelet (PLT) clumps on blood smears and to assess the reliability of the traditional laboratory practice of examining only the feather edge of the smear for PLT clumps. Methods: We processed 102 blood smears that revealed PLT clumps on microscopic review, using the CellaVision DM96, and reviewed the results for the ability of the analyzer to detect these clumps. We obtained the data regarding relative distribution of PLT clumps on different parts of the blood smear (feather edge, lateral edges, and readable area) from our microscopic-review observations. Results: The sensitivity of the Cellavision DM96 in detecting PLT clumps was between 40.4% and 82.8%, depending on the number of screens reviewed for this variable. Via microscopic review of the smears, the PLT-clump detection rate increased from 85.3%, obtained by examining only the feather edge, to 99.0%, obtained by examining the feather edge plus the readable area. Conclusion: The sensitivity of the DM96 for detecting PLT clumps can be maximized to 82.8% by reviewing the entire white blood cell screen and the entire PLT screen. Microscopic review of the blood smears yielded a PLT-clump detection rate of 99.0% when we examined the feather edge and the readable area of the smear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Due to students' initial inexperience, slides are frequently broken and blood smears are damaged in microscopy training, leading to the need for their constant replacement. To minimize this problem a method of preparing blood smears on transparent acetate sheets was developed with the goal of implementing appropriate and more readily available teaching resources for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria. Methods Acetate sheets derived from polyester were used to standardize the preparation and staining of thin and thick blood smears on transparent acetate sheets. Thick and thin blood smears were also prepared using the conventional method on glass slides. The staining was conducted using Giemsa staining for the thick and thin smears. Results Microscopic examination (1,000×) of the thin and thick blood smears prepared on transparent acetate produced high-quality images for both the parasites and the blood cells. The smears showed up on a clear background and with minimal dye precipitation. It was possible to clearly identify the main morphological characteristics of Plasmodium, neutrophils and platelets. After 12 months of storage, there was no change in image quality or evidence of fungal colonization. Conclusion Preparation of thin and thick blood smears in transparent acetate for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria does not compromise the morphological and staining characteristics of the parasites or blood cells. It is reasonable to predict the applicability of transparent acetate in relevant situations such as the training of qualified professionals for the microscopic diagnosis of malaria and the preparation of positive specimens for competency assessment (quality control) of professionals and services involved in the diagnosis of malaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the DELIVER (Full project title: Design of effective and sustainable control strategies for liver fluke in Europe) project the objective was to analyze 3 recombinant antigens for their capacity to induce a satisfied immune response in sheep, to challenge the animals with metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica, and to observe their immune response and protection from the parasitosis. The animals were treated initially with metacercariae and every second week blood was taken for liver enzyme estimation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), gamma-glutamyl transferase (γGT), and antibody response. After the 3rd month of infection all the animals developed parasitosis, although to different extents. Differential observations of the blood showed a rise in eosinophils after the 3rd month (typical by parasitoses) and specific reactions of the other white blood cells. The LDH and γGT liver enzymes showed a slight fluctuation in comparison with the initial values. The antibody (immunoglobulin G1) formations against the different antigens (made by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) were typical as well, but not strong enough to protect the animals from the disease. The immune response was mostly pronounced against the cathepsin L1 antigen, with the highest values after 5-6 months. It turned out that the chosen adjuvant was successful too, because of the high response to it alone. The differential count of the blood cells showed a rise in the eosinophils. The liver enzymes were not typical for this disease. The results gave strong suggestions of how to operate further and what kind of corrections should be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of human bloodstains on nonbiological materials have been previously carried out using a high-vacuum scanning electron microscope (HV-SEM) in secondary-electron mode without any sample treatment. To assess whether biological substrates can affect the morphology of human erythrocytes in bloodstains, three fragments of different biological material (bone, shell, and wood) were smeared with peripheral human blood. Afterward, the bloodstains were directly examined in secondary-electron mode by an HV-SEM following a procedure initially standardized to be used in uncoated human bloodstains on stone. The obtained results suggest that HV-SEM is suitable for examining untreated bloodstains on biological substrate and that the morphology of erythrocytes in human bloodstains is not affected by the biological nature of the substrate. A cautionary issue regarding bloodstains on nondehydrated biological substrates is that the waiting time required for initiating the HV-SEM examination is by far higher than when using inorganic bloodstain substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to extract viable deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from archived Giemsa-stained blood smears can be useful to validate pathogen presence using polymerase chain reaction assays. In this study, 76 crab blood smears from years 1988 to 2004 were tested. Blood smear material was removed from slides, after which DNA was extracted and polymerase chain reaction amplified using primer sets for four loci designed to amplify host and parasitic DNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aboriginal use of reed and bone as raw materials for knives and daggers, respectively, has been well-documented ethnographically in some geographical areas of Melanesia. Because of the significant role that these weapons played in inter- and intra-ethnic aggression, they can potentially have retained smears from the contact with human blood. To carry out a guiding low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy (SEM) study of specific interest to ethnography, the outsides of a fragment of stalk of giant cane ( Arundo donax) and tibial diaphysis of domestic sheep ( Ovis aries) were smeared with peripheral human blood. No biological specimen preparation was applied to the samples. After just over 1 month, bloodstain boundaries and their neighboring inner areas were examined via secondary electrons by a variable-pressure SEM (VP-SEM) working in low-vacuum mode. On both substrates, bloodstains exhibited micro-scales. No janocyte (erythrocyte negative replica) was observed in the examined areas. However, erythrocytes were seen crowded together as grain-shaped corpuscles in the smear on reed, and several hecatocytes (moon-like shaped erythrocytes) were evidenced in the smear on bone. The results of this study suggest that a VP-SEM working in low-vacuum mode can be used fruitfully to detect blood remains in medium-sized reed and bone antique aboriginal artifacts. This procedure can prospectively help to ethnographic museum curators and aboriginal-art surveyors as an easy guiding test in the valuation of antique traditional weapons prior to acquisition, when the real use of a piece has been claimed by the supplier. Microsc. Res. Tech. 75:1007-1011, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, measurements of morphological and size parameters of peripheral blood cells (erythrocyte, leucocyte, thrombocyte) on blood smear preparation devices stained with Wright's stain were given for 87 species from Turkish herpetofauna (19 amphibian species including 7 urodeles and 12 anurans as well as 68 reptile species including 4 turtles, 30 lizards and 34 snakes). It was determined that erythrocyte and nucleus sizes showed great variations among the species of herpetofauna and even among the preparations of the same species; the largest blood cells (erythrocyte, leucocyte, thrombocyte) were found in urodeles; aquatic and semiaquatic species had larger erythrocytes than terrestrials, and the largest erythrocytes were in turtles among the reptile species examined. Lymphocytes were determined as the predominant cells among the blood leucocytes in blood smears of all the examined species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study on the significance of bovine serum albumin (BSA) to stabilize blood cells for Pancake Tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri. The study involved blood obtained from subcarapacial sinus of 11 pancake tortoises which were stored in lithium heparin anticoagulant. The blood samples were smeared on microscope slides, one with BSA and another with no BSA. After magnification under light microscopy, the number of intact red blood cells (RBCs) in the non-BSA-prepared slides are more compared with those in BSA-prepared slides.

Microscopic evaluation of a peripheral blood smear is one of the most beneficial test. But anticoagulant induced artefacts could lead to misinterpretation of the smears. The present study was undertaken to identify the anticoagulant induced artefacts and avoid misinterpretation of peripheral blood smears. The blood samples were collected using Ethylene Diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and Sodium citrate, mixed thoroughly and smears were made immediately as well as 1hr apart for 6 hrs, stained and examined under oil immersion microscope. Direct smears were used as controls. Significant morphological artefacts were observed in our study. Artefacts were marked at the end of 2 hrs with EDTA but seen almost immediately with citrate blood. At 6 hrs, artefacts were marked but more severe with citrates than EDTA. Thus the practice of making blood smears before addition of anticoagulant is recommended and a delay up to 1hr is permissible with EDTA blood but not beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Veterinary & Animal Sciences is the property of Scientific and Technical Research Council of Turkey and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Blood smear analysis is a well-known technique in medical laboratories. The clinical relevance of this analysis and its interpretation are very important. Consequently, monitoring of laboratory performance by an external quality assessment scheme is strongly recommended. This article represents a very practical guidance document for External Quality Assessment Scheme (EQAS) organizers for setting up blood smear schemes. In the first part of the guidelines, the Hematology Working Group of the European External Committee for External Quality Assurance Programmes in Laboratory Medicine (EQALM) published practical information for the preparation of blood smears for use in an EQAS. Part II focuses on aspects such as survey preparation, statistical evaluation and reporting, and describes particular details for organizing blood morphology EQA surveys by means of virtual microscopy. Clin Chem Lab Med 2006;44:1039–43. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although nowadays the so-called environmental scanning electron microscopes (ESEMs) allow the observation of the samples without metal or carbon coating, many conventional scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) are still in use. On the other hand, the presence of erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs) in a smear is considered a blood confirmation. Such a presence has been previously reported even in Lower Stone Age implements. In previous works, I have reported several studies dealing with cytomorphology of RBCs in bloodstains using scanning electron microscopy with standard specimen preparation procedures, i.e. via coating the samples before SEM analysis. In order to explore the potential of conventional SEM as environmental-like SEM in haemotaphonomical studies, two alkaline (limestone) and two acid (flint) rock fragments were smeared with human blood from a male and a female. The bloodstains obtained in this way were then air dried indoors and stored into a non-hermetic plastic box. Afterwards, the smears and their rock substrates were examined directly without coating, via secondary electrons, using a JEOL JSM-6400 scanning electron microscope. Satisfactory results reveal the capability of a conventional SEM to work in secondary-electron mode as an environmental-like SEM on these kinds of biological and inorganic materials, and probably in many other biological and non-biological samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood smear analysis is a well known technique in medical laboratories. Clinical relevance of this analysis and its interpretation are very important. Consequently, monitoring of laboratory performance by an external quality assessment scheme is strongly recommended. Most starting external quality organizers set up a scheme for clinical chemistry. Due to a lack of guidance documents, many organizers are reluctant to offer a hematology scheme. This article aims to be a very practical guidance document for external quality assessment organizers for the set up of blood smear schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is unusual to find microorganisms in peripheral blood smears, and their presence is frequently associated with overwhelming sepsis and consequently a poor prognosis. In this report, we demonstrate 4 cases with bacteria in blood smears. Two of them had a fatal outcome, but the other 2 were caused by a contamination either via the central venous catheter or in vitro, both without dramatic outcome. The finding of bacteria in blood smears has to be interpreted carefully, and thorough examination of peripheral blood smears may be of great importance in the early diagnosis of bacteremia; however, in vitro contamination must be excluded.Copyright © 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparison of apparatus for automatically spreading peripheral blood films (GENES) to manual wedge-pull technique has been performed, showing that the average size of optimal area for counting is twice larger in automated smears compared to manual ones. The variability of WBC repartition has been studied in doing differential count on manual and automated smears and both are compared to results obtain with an independent technique (Coulter STKS) for differential. The correlation coefficients for each WBC population show a closer relationship between automated smear preparations and reference instrument (STKS) than with manual spreading smears. Monocyte differential is particularly influenced by the variability of manual spreading procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]