A 7-year-old child presents with fatigue, pallor, and growth…
A 7-year-old child presents with fatigue, pallor, and growth delay. The CBC and peripheral smear results are as follows: WBC Count: 25.0 x 10⁹/L RBC Count: 5.8 x 10⁶/µL Hemoglobin (Hgb): 6.5 g/dL Hematocrit (Hct): 19% MCV: 65 fL MCH: 18 pg MCHC: 30 g/dL RDW: 16.1% Platelet Count: 450 x 10⁹/L NRBCs: 35 per 100 WBCs Peripheral Smear Findings: Microcytic, hypochromic RBCs. Target cells, anisocytosis, poikilocytosis, and basophilic stippling. Numerous NRBCs. Based on the laboratory data and peripheral smear findings, what is the next best step in the workup of this sample?