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DIAGNOSTIC
METHODS:
Direct Wet Examinations
Tips
and Pitfalls!
- You
should be able to see newsprint through the wet mount;
if too thick, organisms (including helminth eggs) will
not be visible and will often mimic debris.
- Examine
the wet mount with low light; too much light will obscure
organisms. A bit more light can be used when an iodine
wet mount is examined; the color obtained from the iodine
provides more contrast.
- Perform
direct wet mounts ONLY on fresh stool specimens (liquid,
mushy, semiformed). Trophozoites (motility may be visible)
are usually not found in formed stools.
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