No distortion of parasites if isotonic saline is used as diluent. Can miss parasite if concentration is too low or if too much debris or fat is present. Sand, seeds, or other fecal debris can make apposition of coverslip onto slide difficult. May take a long time to examine. Saturated Sucrose or Salt Procedure floats the most common helminth ova and coccidian oocyst .
Solutions are inexpensive.
There is little debris to obscure the view of the parasite. Distorts Giardia cysts. Time consuming if centrifugation not performed. Unsuitable for fatty stool samples. Zinc Sulfate Flotation Recommended procedure for most fecal exams Procedure floats most heminth eggs.