PVA based fixatives are used to preserve organisms in stool samples until they can be examined for parasitic infections. They are typically solutions of reagent alcohol, an inorganic metal salt, polyvinyl alcohol, acetic acid and glycerine in water. The metal salt originally was mercuric chloride but because of the toxicity, mercury has mostly been replaced by other inorganic salts. The earliest replacement was copper sulfate which gave acceptable results but was a poor second choice to mercuric chloride Medical Chemical discovered in 1991 that zinc sulfate is a much better substitute for mercuric chloride and since then zinc PVA has come to dominate PVA fixatives. Z-PVA is the trade name for our original fixative and it is available as 30 ml collection vials half-filled with the fixative. The vials are packed in 100 vial cases with a 10 language instruction sheet, catalog # 2803-05. Z-PVA is available in multi vial kits containing other fixatives and a ten language instruction sheet that the patient can use to collect samples at home.

Multi vial Z-PVA kits available:

Catalog # 891-04 contains Z-PVA, formalin 1:10 and a clean vial.
Catalog # 891-03 contains Z-PVA, formalin 1:10 and C&S vials.
Catalog # 892-03 contains Z-PVA, formalin 1:10, C&S and a clean vial.
Catalog # 891-08 contains Z-PVA, SAF and C&S vials.
Catalog # 890-05 contains Z-PVA and clean vials.
Catalog # 890-06 contains Z-PVA and formalin 1:10 vials.

It is also packaged in 16 oz. plastic bottles. These items are manufactured in the United States by Medical Chemical Corp.