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Test Code Malaria Smear Malaria Smear

Additional Codes

Cerner

NextGen

Malaria Smear

Malaria Smear

Patient Preparation

The Best Time to Make a Smear for Malaria:

                Nine journal article recommendations are:

                a. At the time of or immediately after a chill and halfway between paroxysms. 

                b. Several hours apart.

                c. At different times of the day.

                d. Intervals of 6-18 hours for 3 days.

                e. As soon and as frequent as possible.

                f. Shortly after a paroxysm and then 10 hours later.

                g. Every 3-4 hours.

Collection Instructions

  • Clots cannot be present
  • Specimens must be well mixed.
  • Do not centrifuge.
  • Specimen must be labeled per Specimen Identification and Acceptability Policy.

Specimen Requirements

Preferred Volume

12 x 75 mm tube EDTA-2K/ EDTA-3K Lavender or Li Heparin Green filled to capacity.

Minimum Volume

0.5 mL

Container
  • Preferred
    • 12 x 75 mm tube EDTA-2K or EDTA-3K Lavender

 or 

  • Microtube EDTA-2K or EDTA-3K Lavender

  • Alternative: Li Heparin Green

Stability
  • Slides must be prepared within 6 hours of collection

Rejection Criteria

Clotted samples. 

Result Reporting and Reference Values

Reference Range

Negative for Malarial parasites

Critical Ranges

All positive results

Reflex Testing

Will be selected based on discussion with ordering provider and/or pathologist recommendation.

Limitations

  • Smear evaluation is a screening procedure only and should be evaluated with clinical data, etc. 
  • Speciation is not always possible from the smear.

Useful For/ Methodology

The purpose of this orderable is to be able to identify and report malarial parasites in the blood.  The laboratory diagnosis of malaria is based on the demonstration of the parasite in blood.  This is done by making regular thin blood smears and also thick blood preparations.  The thick smears are used to establish the presence of the malaria organism and the thin smears can be useful to speciate the organism.  Other blood parasites have the potential to be observed as well.