Negative Control: Deliver one drop of
blood from a person that does not have a sickle cell disorder on a slide marked ‘Neg Control’.
Add an equal volume of 2% sodium metabisulphite and mix. Cover with a cover glass. Exclude any air bubbles.
If a blood from a known sickle cell trait person is available, set up also a Positive Control.
3. Place the slides in a container (plastic box or petri dishes) with a damp piece of blotting paper or tissue in the bottom to prevent drying of the preparations. Close the container and leave at room temperature.
4. After 10–20 minutes, examine the patient’s preparation microscopically for sickle cells. Focus the cells first with the 10 objective and examine for sickling using the 40 objective.
Examine several parts of the preparation. Sickling often occurs quicker in one area than the other.
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