Which statement about AC-free blood for smear preparation is accurate?

• A. It yields more smears
• B. It can yield fewer smears
• C. It reduces platelet clumping
• D. It improves smear quality

Answer: (B)

Maintaining a fluid, non-clotted sample is essential for a good blood smear. An anticoagulant keeps blood from clotting, so you can make multiple, uniform slides with cells spread in a single thin layer. If the blood is AC-free, it begins to clot quickly, which reduces how many usable smears you can prepare and tends to degrade smear quality. That’s why this statement is accurate: AC-free blood can yield fewer smears. The other ideas—more smears, reduced platelet clumping, or improved smear quality—don’t fit because clotting disrupts the spreading process and overall morphology.