Blood Picture - Peripheral Smear Examination in Delhi

At a Glance

Profile: Blood Picture - Peripheral Smear Examination. Tests: 5 reported findings: Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Platelets, Hemoparasites and Impression. Price: From 390. Fasting: Not required. Sample: Blood. Reports: 24 hours, digital. Home collection: Available across Delhi; any charge is shown in the booking flow. Lab: NABL-accredited. Do not expect this profile to replace a blood count. The smear describes cells, and the counts come from the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR, so doctors usually ask for them together. Both sit in every full body package, starting with the Basic Full Body Checkup (77 parameters), and a package costs less than booking the two profiles separately. ## Reading It Finding by Finding Red Blood Cells: the pathologist notes size, shape, colour and unusual forms. White Blood Cells: the types present and whether any look immature or abnormal. Platelets: whether they look adequate on the slide and whether they have clumped. Hemoparasites: whether parasites are seen. Impression: the pathologist's written conclusion, which is the part your doctor will read first. ## A Test Done by Hand The slide is prepared and read by a qualified pathologist, which cannot be automated. Analysers count and sort cells quickly but cannot reliably describe their shape or internal structure. That is the reason a smear takes specialist time and why some cheaper packages leave it out. ## Why Cell Shape Answers the Question a Count Leaves Open Low haemoglobin on a CBC does not say why. On the slide, small and pale red cells (microcytic) point towards iron deficiency or thalassemia trait; large cells (macrocytic) towards B12 or folate deficiency; sickle-shaped cells towards sickle cell disease. In households where more than one person is anaemic, this matters: over 50% of Indian women aged 15–49 are anaemic (NFHS-5, 2019–21), and the cause can differ between family members. ## Immature Cells and Misleading Platelet Counts Blast cells are immature white cells whose presence may indicate leukaemia; analysers can flag something odd but cannot identify them reliably. Separately, platelets sometimes clump and an analyser reads that as a dangerously low platelet count. A slide shows whether the count is truly low, which matters in a fever when a doctor is deciding how worried to be. ## Hemoparasites in Delhi Dengue, malaria and chikungunya are endemic across Delhi NCR. The Hemoparasites finding reports whether malarial parasites are visible in the blood. A smear does not diagnose dengue or chikungunya, and a negative slide cannot rule out malaria when few parasites are present, so a fever that keeps returning should be reviewed by a doctor even if this finding is clear. ## For Older Family Members With no fasting, a visit can be fitted around medicines, meals and mobility. A grandparent can be sampled at home in the late morning, and a second family member can be sampled in the same slot. A smear is often requested for older people with unexplained anaemia or an abnormal white cell count. Tell the phlebotomist about blood-thinning medicines. ## What the Report Will and Will Not Tell You The report gives a plain-language line for each of the four cell headings, then the Impression. Take the Impression and your CBC to the doctor together. A smear is a description of one sample on one day: a normal one makes many blood diseases unlikely, but it cannot exclude conditions that need specific tests, such as thalassemia trait, and it cannot say how a condition will behave later. ## What Is Not Included This profile does not include numerical cell counts, Haemoglobin values or ESR, which belong to the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR. It also excludes Iron Studies, ferritin, Vitamin B12 and folate levels, Hb electrophoresis or HPLC, flow cytometry, bone marrow examination, and dengue, malaria antigen or typhoid tests. A doctor may order any of these after reading the Impression. Each is a separate order. ## About the Laboratory Samples are processed at a NABL-accredited laboratory in our network. NABL accreditation is granted to individual laboratories after evaluation of their equipment, processes and personnel; it is not a company-wide certification, and HealthVas does not claim to hold it. ## Sources NFHS-5, 2019–21 Content last reviewed: October 2026

Fasting: None. Eat, drink and take regular medicines as usual. Several family members can be sampled in one visit. Sample: One venous blood draw. The slide is prepared and read at the laboratory. Keep the CBC handy: The smear is read alongside a blood count. If a recent CBC prompted this test, show both reports to the doctor, or add the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR. For an elderly family member: a late-morning or afternoon slot works. Tell the phlebotomist about blood thinners. Medications and supplements: Mention recently started iron, B12 or folate, steroids or chemotherapy, as they change how cells look. Fever or travel: Note the dates of fever and any recent travel so the finding on parasites is read in context. Home collection: Available across Delhi, including Saket, Greater Kailash, Hauz Khas, Malviya Nagar, Lajpat Nagar, Dwarka, Janakpuri, Rohini, Pitampura, Model Town, Mayur Vihar, Preet Vihar and Kalkaji. Any charge is shown in the booking flow. Reports: Digital within 24 hours, with the pathologist's written Impression.