How would the technologist differentiate between a traumatic specimen collection tap and a cerebral hemorrhage? Provide at least three macroscopic and three microscopic findings

What will be an ideal response?

nswer:
Macroscopic findings: traumatic tap
 Decreasing gross blood in subsequent tubes; highest concentration of gross blood typically present in Tube 1with subsequent decreasing numbers in the remaining tubes
 The presence of a clot in the sample; trauma to the body introduced by specimen collection, activating the coagulation cascade
 The absence of xanthochromia. Xanthochromia indicating hemoglobin breakdown
Macroscopic findings: cerebral hemorrhage
 Equal concentration of blood in all four tubes
 No clot present in the sample
 Presence of xanthochromia in the sample
Microscopic findings: traumatic tap
 Intact RBCs in high numbers
 No ingestion of RBCs by phagocytic cells
 No hematoidin/hematin crystals present
 No hemosiderin crystals present
Microscopic findings: cerebral hemorrhage
 RBCs fragments often seen
 Erythrophagocytosis present
 Hemosiderin present
 Hematoidin/hematin crystals present