Which is the characteristic finding on a blood film post-splenectomy?

Certain characteristic findings on a blood film are suggestive of hyposplenism or asplenism. This may be congenital, iatrogenic (particularly post splenectomy) or associated with acquired medical conditions.

What are the characteristics of a good blood smear why these characteristics are observed always?

The blood smear must not be too thin or too thick and the tail of the smear must be smooth. The perfect quality smear is influ- enced by three factors: speed, angle and drop size. thinner the smear will be. The slower the slide is moved, the shorter and thicker the slide will be.

What is Hyposplenic?

5. What is hyposplenism? Hyposplenism is when the spleen does not work properly due to certain diseases including some patients with coeliac disease. Hyposplenism also occurs after surgical removal of the spleen. The spleen is an organ in the body which is a key part of your body’s immune system.

What is morphological Charactersitic of RBC?

The human erythrocytes are discoid (bi-concave), about 7–8 μm (size of the nucleus of a small lymphocyte) in diameter, with a central area of pallor (which occupies a third of the red cell diameter) and is well haemoglobinised in the outer two thirds of the red cell diameters, without any inclusions.

Is there a blood film for HbE / beta thalassaemia?

This blood film is from a transfusion-dependent patient who is a compound heterozygote for HbE/beta-thalassaemia. There is a dimorphic picture in the background, with a population of normochromic, normocytic transfused cells, as well as the abnormal native microcytic, hypochromic cells with anisopoikilocytosis and prominent target cells.

What are the clinical characteristics of beta thalassemia?

Clinical characteristics: Beta-thalassemia (β-thalassemia) is characterized by reduced synthesis of the hemoglobin subunit beta (hemoglobin beta chain) that results in microcytic hypochromic anemia, an abnormal peripheral blood smear with nucleated red blood cells, and reduced amounts of hemoglobin A (HbA) on hemoglobin analysis.

What does a blood smear look like with thalassemia?

That depends on whether it’s a mild case of thalassemia (in which case the blood smear will look normal) or a severe case of thalassemia (in which the blood smear will look terrible, with a decreased number of red cells, a lot of abnormally shaped red cells,…

What causes hyposplenism on a blood film?

Certain characteristic findings on a blood film are suggestive of hyposplenism or asplenism. This may be congenital, iatrogenic (particularly post splenectomy) or associated with acquired medical conditions.

What happens to red blood cells after splenectomy?

In addition, the splenectomy may result in a slight increase in the production of platelets within the bone marrow. Normally, erythrocytes are stored and removed from the circulating blood by the spleen, including the removal of damaged erythrocytes.

What RBC inclusion may be observed in the blood smear of a patient after splenectomy?

3.6 Red Cell Inclusions. Several red cell inclusions have been described, including the following: Howell–Jolly bodies: These are usually single peripheral bodies within red cells representing DNA material. These bodies may be seen in post-splenectomy, megaloblastic anemia, severe hemolysis, and myelophthisic anemia.

Is leukocytosis common after splenectomy?

The phenomenon of temporary leukocytosis following splenectomy has been well known for many decades as a physiologic response to the removal of the spleen. Ironically, leukocytosis is also a prominent finding of postoperative sepsis, a common and much feared complication of splenectomy.

What happens to WBC after splenectomy?

Background: The White Blood Cell (WBC) and Platelet (PLT) counts typically increase after a splenectomy. These changes make interpretation of postoperative lab values difficult and may unduly raise concerns for complications.

How does splenectomy affect WBC?

What are the complications of splenectomy?

But as with any surgery, splenectomy carries the potential risk of complications, including:

• Bleeding.
• Blood clots.
• Infection.
• Injury to nearby organs, including your stomach, pancreas and colon.

Why do you get lymphocytosis after splenectomy?

Splenectomy caused lymphocytosis, due to a significant increase in B and CD8+ lymphocytes, as did splenic autotransplantation, which indicates that the number of lymphocyte subsets in the blood should not be used to argue in favour of or against splenic autotransplantation.

Is splenectomy a disability?

38 C.F.R. § 4.7. Under Diagnostic Code 7706, a splenectomy warrants a 20 percent disability rating. This diagnostic code also provides the instruction to rate complications such as systemic infections with encapsulated bacteria separately.

Can splenectomy cause high platelets?

Platelet counts after splenectomy have been reported to increase 30% to 100%, with a peak reached at 7 to 20 days postoperatively (3). Common complications of thrombocytosis include thrombosis and hemorrhage.

What happens to the blood after a splenectomy?

By Craig E. Litz, M.D. In our consult experience misinterpretation of the blood smear findings in the splenectomized patient is a cause of significant misdiagnosis. The blood changes following splenectomy are relatively predictable and knowing these changes can obviate a wrong diagnosis and therapy in your patient.

Are there any RBCs inclusions after splenectomy?

The blood smear presented with marked anisocytosis, target cells, acanthocytes and Howell-Jolly bodies, as well as Pappenheimer bodies and basophilic stippling. These abnormalities … [RBCs inclusions after splenectomy: not only Howell-Jolly bodies!] Ann Biol Clin (Paris). Mar-Apr 2013;71(2):185-9.doi: 10.1684/abc

What’s the best way to stain a blood sample?

Staining Procedure: Quality Control. Make as many thin smears as possible, preferably within one hour after the blood was drawn from the patient. Allow the smears to dry quickly, using a fan or blower at room temperature. Fix the smears in absolute (100%) methanol; allow them to dry.

Do you leave duplicates of blood smears unstained?

Staining Blood Smears Stain only one set of smears, and leave the duplicates unstained. The latter will prove useful if a problem occurs during the staining and/or if you wish later to send the smears to a reference laboratory.