Diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infestation. Study of two methods for collection of specimens.

Two methods for collecting fecal specimens for parasitologic examination were compared: the usual samples from different days to be studied separately (“triads”) and the alternate procedure of mixing three daily specimens in a single flask with thimerosal-iodine-formaldehyde as preservative (“blend”), in order to save time and effort on the part of the microscopist. Stool samples totalling 284 from 71 heavily parasitized persons were examined. No significant difference was found in the results of studying “triads” and “blends” by two concentration technics.