Blood Picture - Peripheral Smear Examination in Gurgaon

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 Gurgaon; any charge is shown in the booking flow. Lab: NABL-accredited. A peripheral smear is normally read alongside a Complete Blood Count, not instead of one. The CBC supplies the numbers; the smear describes what the cells look like. If you need both, the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR is the companion profile, and the two are included together in every full body package, starting with the Basic Full Body Checkup (77 parameters). That is usually cheaper than booking them separately. ## Why This Test Cannot Be Automated A smear is made by spreading a drop of blood thinly on a glass slide, staining it, and examining it under a microscope. A qualified pathologist does that reading by hand, cell by cell. Automated analysers are excellent at counting and unreliable at judging shape. That is pathologist time, and it is the reason this test costs more than a machine-run profile and is the first line item dropped from cheaper packages. ## The Five Findings Red Blood Cells: size, shape, colour and any abnormal forms. White Blood Cells: the types present, their maturity and any immature or abnormal cells. Platelets: whether they appear adequate in number on the slide, and whether they are clumped. Hemoparasites: whether parasites such as malaria are visible in or around the cells. Impression: a written summary by the pathologist, tying these together and suggesting what to do next. ## How the Smear Explains a Low Haemoglobin A CBC tells you haemoglobin is low. The smear helps say why. Small, pale red cells (microcytic) point to iron deficiency or thalassemia trait. Large red cells (macrocytic) point to B12 or folate deficiency. Sickle-shaped cells indicate sickle cell disease. Over 50% of Indian women aged 15–49 are anaemic (NFHS-5, 2019–21), and the smear is what stops that single number being treated as one condition. ## Blast Cells and Platelet Clumping Two findings justify the smear on their own. Blast cells, which are immature white cells, can indicate leukaemia and are not reliably identified by analysers. Platelet clumping is a laboratory artefact that makes an analyser report a dangerously low platelet count when the true count is normal; only a slide shows the difference. ## Hemoparasites and Gurgaon's Monsoon Season Dengue and malaria are endemic across Delhi NCR. The Hemoparasites finding reports whether malarial parasites are visible in the red cells. A smear does not diagnose dengue. If a doctor suspects it, a dengue-specific test is needed. A negative parasite finding on a single slide also does not exclude malaria when parasites are few, so repeat samples or an antigen test may be advised if fever continues. ## Reading Your Report Each of the four cell headings is written in plain terms: normal wording means the cells looked normal in size, shape and number, and abnormal wording names what was seen. The Impression is the line to take to your doctor, with your CBC beside it. A smear describes one sample on one day. A normal smear makes many blood diseases unlikely but cannot exclude conditions that need their own tests, and it cannot predict future results. ## Fitting It Around an Office Day With no fasting, the sample can be drawn on an evening at home, between meetings, or on a weekend. The report is released within 24 hours, so a doctor can review it at the next appointment. ## What Is Not Included This profile does not include the cell counts, Haemoglobin values or ESR, which are in the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR. It does not include Iron Studies, ferritin, Vitamin B12 or folate levels, Hb electrophoresis or HPLC, flow cytometry, a bone marrow examination, or a dengue, malaria antigen or typhoid test. An unusual finding may lead your doctor to order some of these. 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: Not required. Eat and drink normally and book any hour. Sample: One venous blood draw. The pathologist prepares and reads the slide at the laboratory. Bring your CBC: If a recent CBC prompted this test, keep the report available for your doctor. The smear is read alongside it. If you do not have one, the Complete Blood Count (CBC) + ESR can be booked with it. Medications and supplements: Continue prescribed medicines unless told otherwise, and mention recently started iron, B12 or folate supplements, steroids or chemotherapy, as they alter cell appearance. Fever: If you are unwell with fever, say so at booking and tell your doctor the dates and any recent travel. Home collection: Available across Gurgaon, including Sector 29, 42, 49, 54, 56, Golf Course Road, Golf Course Extension, Sohna Road, DLF Phase 1–5, Udyog Vihar, Palam Vihar and South City. Any charge is shown in the booking flow. Reports: Digital within 24 hours, with the five findings and the pathologist's written impression.