What are some good stool fixative/stain combinations?
The “gold standard” has been 1 vial of 10% formalin, from which the concentration is performed. The second vial has been with mercuric-chloride based PVA, from which the permanent stained smear is prepared (trichrome or iron hematoxylin). Other options in terms of overall quality are: a. SAF and iron hematoxylin stain b. UNIFIX or Z-PVA (Medical Chemical Corp.) and trichrome stain c. ECOFIX and ECOSTAIN (Meridian Bioscience) d. SAF and trichrome stain There may be other options available – check the published literature.
