What is a stool test and why is it done?

The stool test is a definitive diagnostic tool for evaluating digestive system and stomach problems. This test detects the presence of bacteria, viruses and other microbes in the stool and enables early diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases and colon cancer. If the following symptoms occur, a stool test will be prescribed for you:

• blood in the stool;
• mucus in the stool;
• diarrhea longer than 3 days;
• stomach pain or cramps;
• long-term nausea and vomiting;
• fever.

The doctor will prescribe a stool test to diagnose these diseases. Causes:

• Anal fissure (a small cut in the anus);
• Anemia (lack of red blood cells);
• Colitis (swelling or inflammation in part of the large intestine);
• Colon polyp (small cell masses in the large intestine);
• Colon cancer;
• Diverticulosis (protrusion in intestine).
• Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPC);
• gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding;
• hemorrhoids (swollen veins in the anus);
• infections (bacterial, viral, or parasitic);
• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD);
• steatorrhea (fatty diarrhea);
• gastric ulcer.

Study More: cause of hard stool

Stool test for microbes Stomach

Stool testing for stomach microbes in a completely non-invasive way and without the need for endoscopy, detects the presence of Helicobacter pylori and sounds the alarm of stomach ulcers, gastritis and even stomach cancer. A positive test result confirms an active infection in the stomach, and it is better to temporarily stop taking antibiotics, stomach acid suppressants, or bismuth before the test. ... is A negative answer to this test confirms that the person is not a carrier of infectious diseases, parasites and pathogenic microbes and plays a significant role in maintaining the public health of society.

Babies and children's stool test

Babies and children's stool test evaluates the health of the baby's and children's digestive system and monitors digestive, infectious and absorption problems. As soon as the child's doctor observes the set of symptoms of diarrhea, severe constipation, bloating, vomiting, weight loss, loss of appetite or the presence of blood in the stool, he writes a prescription for this test to check the presence of parasitic infections and pathogenic bacteria.

Types of stool tests

What are OB, culture, calprotectin, elastase and the three-step stool test for?

Three-step stool test

The purpose of the three-step stool test is to more accurately diagnose parasites and their spawning in the digestive system. In this test, a person's stool sample is collected and examined on three different occasions (usually during three consecutive days) to increase the accuracy of the diagnosis.

Stool OB test

Stool ob test is used to observe and detect hidden blood in the stool, blood that cannot be seen by the eye. The result of this test makes it easy for the doctor to diagnose stomach ulcers, intestinal polyps, hemorrhoids, intestinal inflammation, or even digestive tract cancer.

Stool culture test

In the stool culture test, the tester's stool sample is cultured in a special laboratory environment so that the doctor can detect the presence of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This test is widely used to detect intestinal infections caused by bacteria such as Salmonella, Shigella, or E. coli.

Stool calprotectin test

Calprotectin protein increases when the intestinal wall is inflamed, and this test measures the amount of this protein in the stool. The doctor uses this test to diagnose and track inflammatory bowel diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, and by reviewing the results, he can distinguish true inflammation from functional problems such as irritable bowel syndrome. The decrease of this enzyme indicates the weakness of the pancreas. Therefore, its results can be used to diagnose pancreatic insufficiency, cystic fibrosis or chronic pancreatitis.

Read more: fecal incontinence

How to perform a stool test

Stool test including Not complicated tests with special preparation. It is enough to take seriously the doctor's instructions about temporarily stopping a series of medicines or avoiding a series of foods (only for a few days) and follow them accordingly. Your doctor may limit your intake of red meat, vitamin C supplements, or iron-rich foods. Also, inform your doctor if you are taking antibiotics, antacids or laxatives.

Conditions for sampling and fasting

Stool testing does not require fasting and other points about this test are important, such as:

• The sample must be fresh. and delivered to the laboratory immediately after collection (within one hour at most);
• The stool sample should not come into contact with water, urine or detergents, because there is a possibility of changing the results;
• It is better to use a special sampling container in the laboratory to store the sample. id="lwptoc11">How to take a sample for a baby

  How to take a baby stool test requires more care and precision. If you collect the sample from the baby's diaper, make sure that the diaper fabric is completely clean and free of absorbent powder. Use a clean sampling spatula to separate the sample and pour it into a sterile laboratory sampling container. The baby's stool sample should not come into contact with urine, water or skin creams. After the sampling operation is completed successfully, deliver it to the laboratory in less than 1 hour.

  

  Interpretation of stool test results

  test sheet that you receive, will determine the status of the feces with one of these two words: negative (Negative) or positive (Positive). Negative means stool health, positive means the presence of abnormality or pathogenic agent. It is also possible that the expressions Not detected or Not seen replace Negative and the expressions detected or seen replace Positive.

  If you are not good at self-interpreting laboratory tests, with the testing services at Dr.Dektor's place, you can relax your mind about taking samples at your desired location, and hear the interpretation of the test from expert doctors.

  The meaning of Yeast in the test Stool

  Yeast in the stool test indicates the presence of fungus (usually Candida) in the stool. Small amounts of this fungus are normal, but a large number is a sign of overgrowth of fungi in the intestine (usually due to long-term use of antibiotics, weak immune system or improper nutrition). It means gastrointestinal bleeding. This bleeding is usually caused by an allergy to milk protein, intestinal inflammation, anal fissure or infection. WBC is also the abbreviation of white blood cell and the presence of WBC in a baby's stool test indicates inflammation or infection in the intestine. This factor is only seen in cases of infectious diarrhea or colitis in newborn stool tests.

  Very low amounts of RBC or WBC in newborns are transient and not a cause for concern; But their excessive amounts require specialized investigation and treatment.

  Reading the results of the stool test

  The stool test results sheet has several important sections:

  • Form (Form): represents the natural and molded shape of the stool.
  • Consistency: describes the texture of the stool. does The semi-formed state is normal; Loose or watery indicates diarrhea or infection;
  • Mucus: the presence of a lot of mucus is a sign of intestinal inflammation or irritation;
  • WBC (white blood cell): its large amounts indicate infection or intestinal inflammation;
  • RBC (red blood cell): its presence indicates blood in the stool;
  • Parasite / Ova: indicates the presence of parasites or its eggs and is a sign of parasitic infection;
  • Fat droplets: the presence of fat Too much indicates malabsorption in the intestine, pancreatic dysfunction, celiac disease, cystic fibrosis and similar problems.

  The results of the stool test are normal when:

  • The amount of mucus in the stool is low;
  • The color of the stool in adults is brown;
• Harmful bacteria, viruses, fungi or parasites are found;
• Enzymes such as trypsin or elastase are low.

Read more: Fatty stools What is the sign?

fee test cost

fee test cost in Iran depends on the type of test, selected laboratory and your geographical location. It is also important whether you do the test individually or as part of a complete checkup package. According to the tariff table of official laboratory services, the cost of stool culture test in Tehran laboratories is about 120,000 Tomans, and the price paid for measuring other antigens is less than this amount. and guarantees reliability. In the following, we will mention the sampling conditions and the factors influencing the results of this test in more detail.

Correct sampling conditions

Although the stool test does not require special preparation, for the most accurate results, you must implement the sampling conditions correctly. For example:

• use a sterile container for the laboratory to store the sample;
• give the sample to the laboratory no later than 1 hour after collection. Otherwise, keep it in the refrigerator (temperature 2 to 8 degrees);
• Empty the bladder before collecting stool so that the stool sample does not mix with urine;
• Do not let the stool sample come into contact with water or detergents;
• About one teaspoon is enough for this test, unless the doctor asks for more;
• If the doctor recommends, repeat the sampling several times.
• be sure to wear gloves to prevent the spread of infection;
• postpone the sampling until the end of menstruation;
• never take the stool sample from the toilet bowl.

Drugs and foods affecting the results

The result of your stool test It is directly affected by:

• Recent changes in diet affect the composition of feces;
• Use of antibiotics, laxatives or antacids change the findings of the stool test;
• Contaminated samples stored in the wrong place and condition do not provide correct and accurate results;
• Chronic diseases. Like IBD or diabetes, they affect the properties of stool and mess up the test result.

Doctor's last word

Stool test is not a sheet full of numbers and medical terms, which is a mirror of the health of the digestive system. The real importance of this test becomes really tangible for us when we know that many digestive diseases can be treated and controlled with early detection. Therefore, periodic stool testing is not only a conscious action, which is an essential part of preventive care, especially for those who have a history of gastrointestinal diseases.

In the Dr.Dokter medical system, register an on-site test request online, bring expert technicians to your home, and from now on, you will not have to worry about early diagnosis of diseases.

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