Utilization of Alternative Buffer Solutions for Staining Thin Blood Smears by the Giemsa, Wrigt stain and Romanowsky Method

Reliable diagnosis on haematological examination is important, it is necessary to examine further the morphology of the blood cells previously stained in the procedure for staining thin blood smears using a buffer solution with a standard pH of 6.4 to 6.8. One of the problems that may occur in the laboratory is that the buffer reagents are damaged, past the expiration date or running out, so alternative buffers are needed that are cheap, fast and easy to obtain. This study used a quasi-experimental method. The result of this research is using alternative buffers from bottled mineral water following SNI-01-0553 2006. The colour produced by some of these alternative buffers is almost equivalent to blood cells stained with phosphate buffer. The percentage of assessment results in the alternative buffer codes B, C, D, E and F compared with control (A) were 62.67%, 92.00%, 82.67%, 80.00% 88, 00%, and 68.00%. The use of alternative buffers for staining thin blood smears using the Giemsa, Wright stain, and Romanowsky method can be done with mineral water as an alternative buffer for sample codes C, D, E and F, while B and G cannot be used. Alternative buffers can be applied by Medical Laboratory technologists who work directly in the field for emergency staining in areas far from health facilities. Further research can be done to find alternative colouring materials from natural ingredients so that our rich natural resources can be utilized to their maximum potential