Question

if our patient was chronically iron deficient, what would the wright stain look like of a peripheral blood smear?

Explanation:

In chronic iron deficiency, red blood cells (RBCs) in a Wright - stained peripheral blood smear show microcytosis (smaller than normal RBCs) and hypochromia (decreased hemoglobin content, so the central pallor of RBCs is increased and may occupy more than a third of the cell's diameter; the cells appear paler overall, and there can be variation in cell size (anisocytosis) and shape (poikilocytosis), with more target cells or pencil - shaped cells sometimes seen.

Answer:

In a Wright - stained peripheral blood smear of a chronically iron - deficient patient, the red blood cells (RBCs) show microcytosis (RBCs are smaller than normal), hypochromia (increased central pallor, often occupying > 1/3 of the RBC diameter, and the cells appear paler overall), along with possible anisocytosis (variation in RBC size) and poikilocytosis (variation in RBC shape, e.g., target cells, pencil - shaped cells may be present).