Choosing Microscopic Fields

Quality Control Smears

  • Quality control smears are stained at the same time as the patient's slides.
  • They must be examined before you examine the patient's slides.
  • If properly stained, the Staphylococcus aureus on the positive control slide will stain blue, or gram positive.
  • The Escherichia coli on the negative control slide will stain red, or gram negative.
  • If these slides are not stained properly, the problem must be resolved and new slides made before the patient specimen is examined.

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