Del Rosario, Ma. Veronica M.

BSMT II

Kato-Katz Technique

Kato-Katz Technique or it is also called as Kato Technique, it is a laboratory

method for preparing human stool samples prior to searching for parasite eggs. In the
tutorial video about kato-katz thick smear by Bruno Levecke, Zeleke mekonnen and
Jozef Vercruysse, it discuss here in the video about Kato-Katz Technique; equipment’s
that is needed to perform Kato-Katz Technique and procedures that is given for the safety
of every individual, medical students, or other medical professions that will perform this
technique in the laboratory. Kato-Katz Thick Smear Technique is used in human stools, it
is used for detection and enumeration of helminthes eggs whether it is soil transmitted
helminthes or schistosomiasis. The equipment’s used is can be seen in the laboratory, to
do the Kato-Katz Technique the following equipments are needed scrap paper or
newspaper, 1.5 mm thick template with a hole of 6 mm, flat sided spatula, microscope
slide, plastic screen with a mesh size between 60 and 105, hydrophilic cellophane,
glycerol malachite green, wooden tongue depressor, a device to hold the slides and a
compound microscope to check the microscope slide for number of eggs an what kind of
parasite is in the slide.

I’ve learned to start the procedure of Kato-Katz Technique, first place a small
amount of a stool sample on the scrap paper then place the template with the hole on the
center of the microscope slide. Afterwards press the small screen on the top of the stool
so that the part of the stool is saved through the screen and accumulates on the top to
collect the stool, scrape the spatula in the hole of the template until it becomes completely
filled and remove the template carefully. Take the presoaked cellophane strip with a
wooden tongue depressor and cover the stool with it. Invert the microscope slide on
smooth hard surface and firmly press the stool sample against the hydrophilic cellophane
strip to spread evenly between the microscope slide and cellophane strip. Place the slide
in the holder and remove the scrap paper with the stool sample. Each slide should be
examine after 30 to 60 minutes at ambient temperature.