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The stool test is one of the basic tests that should be performed every few years, even if you are feeling well. Why? Well, this simple and underestimated test allows you to detect not only parasites, but also bacterial diseases, stomach ulcers, pancreatic diseases, disorders of food absorption from the intestines, occult bleeding and colon cancer. The stool test is compulsory when you start working, for example, in gastronomy.

Stool examinationcan answer many questions about your he alth. Faeces can be subjected to chemical, bacteriological and microscopic analysis.

When examining the sample, we look for parasites (pinworms, lamblia, roundworm, tapeworm) or their eggs.

The next items you are looking for are undigested food debris, e.g. meat fibers, connective tissue fibers, grains.

Additionally, the amount of fat in the stool is determined and the activity of some digestive enzymes is analyzed.

The presence of blood can also be determined in the tested stool sample.

The obtained result gives an answer to the question of how the digestive system works, whether there are parasites in it and whether there is latent bleeding.

Stool examination: how to prepare?

Proper preparation for the test is very important, because both the diet and medications taken may falsify the obtained result.

A few days before taking the sample, increase the amount of fiber in your daily diet.

It is very important to discontinue any medications that may affect the results of the analysis three days before stool sampling. These are mainly iron preparations, anti-inflammatory drugs and drugs containing acetylsalicylic acid.

Women should not collect material for examination during menstruation, as the result of the analysis will indicate the presence of blood in the stool, which is a very disturbing symptom. A symptom that requires urgent consultation with a gastroenterologist or oncologist.

How to collect feces for testing?

Faeces are collected in a special container that can be purchased at any pharmacy. The set includes a spatula that makes it easy to take a sample of the material for testing.

One should collect about 1-1.5 cm of feces or, figuratively speaking - a portion the size of a large hazelnut.

The type of stool tests performed depends on the medical condition your doctor hassuspects on the basis of symptoms described by the patient.

Faeces testing for parasites

For testing, collect a hazelnut-sized stool sample into a disposable container. Until the stool is delivered to the laboratory, the container with the test material should be kept in a cool place, but not longer than 2 days. The container must be labeled with the patient's first name, last name and ID number.

The examination of the faeces for the presence of parasites reveals the presence of parasites in the digestive tract.

It is recommended to carry out a stool test three times if no parasites were found in the previous results.

We deliver the second sample 2-3 days after the first test.

If the result is still negative, the third stool sample is collected 7-10 days after the first test.

The test performed without a referral costs about PLN 10. We get the result the next day.

Faecal occult blood test

A hazelnut-sized sample is collected for testing in a disposable container. The carefully closed container should be stored in a cool place, but not longer than 2 days.

Container must be labeled. Before delivering the sample to the laboratory, it is worth asking what method the feces will be tested.

More and more laboratories, when performing fecal occult blood tests, use the immunoenzymatic method, which does not require a meatless diet.

Only human hemoglobin is searched for and detected in the analyzed material.

Testing is not done during menstruation. The sample may not be taken until three days after the bleeding has stopped.

The "faeces for occult blood" test is performed as a screening test for peptic ulcer disease, colorectal cancer or colon polyps.

The cost of a private examination is approximately PLN 14. You get the result the next day.

Baby's stool examination

In children, stool testing is ordered when parasites are suspected and when poisoning is suspected. The test can also show if the child is not feeling well due to rotaviruses or adenoviruses.

Taking a sample is not complicated. It should be collected as soon as you have a bowel movement. In infants, feces can be collected from a clean and previously ironed cloth diaper.

Stool test: evaluation of results

The results of the stool test obtained in the laboratory should be shown to the doctor who ordered them. Thanks to this, we will find out if we are he althy or if there is a problem. What will the doctor pay attention to?

  • stool pH- a drop below 6.0 may indicate malabsorption and digestioncarbohydrates
  • presence of carbohydrates(glucose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, pentoses) - their presence in the stool indicates endocrine pancreatic insufficiency, brush border disaccharidase deficiency, short intestine syndrome
  • fat(crystals of cholesterol and uric acid) - when more than 80 globules appear in the field of view, it may indicate malabsorption syndrome, chronic pancreatitis, celiac disease or cirrhosis
  • blood in the stool- the cause may be gastrointestinal bleeding or developing colorectal cancer
  • stool culture- presence of pathogenic bacteria ( Salmonella ,Shigella ,Campylobacter ,Escherichioa Coli ,Clostridium difficile ) indicates a bacterial infection
About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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