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Stool analysis is useful in diagnosing many different conditions.
It is used for the following: - Diagnosing diseases of the digestive tract, liver, and pancreas. Certain enzymes (such as trypsin or elastase) may be evaluated in the stool to help determine how well the pancreas is functioning.
- Determining the cause of symptoms affecting the digestive tract, including prolonged diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, an increased amount of gas, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, bloating, abdominal pain and cramping, and fever.
- Screening for colorectal cancer by checking for hidden (occult) blood.
- Detecting the presence of parasites, such as pinworms or Giardia lamblia.
- Detecting and identifying certain types of bacteria that can cause disease. This test is called a stool culture and can also be used to detect an infection caused by a fungus or virus.
- Detecting poor absorption of nutrients by the digestive tract (malabsorption syndrome). For this test, all stool is collected over a 72-hour period and then analyzed for the presence of fat and meat fibres. The presence of fat may indicate a malabsorption problem. This test is called a 72-hour stool collection or quantitative fecal fat test.
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Stool Exam can help with the following: | | | | | Digestion |  Enteritis
Intestinal Malabsorption Syndrome
Steatorrhea | Both qualitative and quantitative tests are used to identify excessive fecal fat. The qualitative test involves staining a specimen of stool with a special dye, then examining it microscopically for evidence of malabsorption, such as undigested muscle fiber and various fats. The quantitative test involves drying and weighing a 72-hour stool specimen, then using an extraction technique to separate the fats, which are subsequently evaporated and weighed. This measurement of the total output of fecal fat per 24 hours in a three-day specimen is the most reliable test for steatorrhea.
This test requires a 72-hour stool collection. The patient should abstain from alcohol during this time and maintain a high-fat diet (100gm/day) for three days before the test, and during the collection period. The patient should call the laboratory for instructions on how to collect the specimen. |
Intestinal Obstruction |
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KEY | | Highly recommended |
GLOSSARY
Abdomen (Abdominal)
That part of the body between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, intestines, liver, bladder, pancreas and other organs.
Bacteria (Bacterial, Bacterium)
Microscopic germs. Some bacteria are "harmful" and can cause disease, while other "friendly" bacteria protect the body from harmful invading organisms.
Chymotrypsin (Trypsin)
A digestive enzyme secreted by the pancreas into the small intestine which breaks down polypeptides or proteins.
Colorectal Cancer
A cancerous tumor of the large intestine. It is marked by dark, sticky stools containing blood and a change in bowel habits.
Cramp (Cramping, Cramps)
A sudden, involuntary, painful muscular contraction.
Diarrhea
Excessive discharge of contents of bowel.
Enzymes (Enzyme)
Specific protein catalysts produced by the cells that are crucial in chemical reactions and in building up or synthesizing most compounds in the body. Each enzyme performs a specific function without itself being consumed. For example, the digestive enzyme amylase acts on carbohydrates in foods to break them down.
Giardiasis (Giardia)
An intestinal tract infection caused by Giardia lamblia, a flagellate protozoa now common to much of the world. It is not normally a very serious infection, but nevertheless unpleasant.
Gram (gm, gms, Gramme, Grammes, Grams)
A metric unit of weight, there being approximately 28 grams in one ounce.
Liver (Hepatic)
The largest and one of the most complex organs of the body, the liver is responsible for much of the metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates. It is the site of much of the body's detoxification. It is connected very closely with digestion and the regulation of blood sugar, among many other functions. Found behind the ribs on the right side of the abdomen, it has many important functions such as removing harmful material from the blood, making enzymes and bile that help digest food, and converting food into substances needed for life and growth. Hepatic: Pertaining to the liver.
Malabsorption
Improper utilization of needed and available nutrients, either from impaired digestive function (such as B12 being unabsorbed because of gastritis), impaired absorption (poor Vitamin E absorption because of an inflamed ileum) or impaired transport (the diminished blood proteins of the advanced alcoholic). There are other causes as well.
Nausea
Symptoms resulting from an inclination to vomit.
Pancreas (Pancreatic)
Opposite the liver and behind the stomach, the pancreas has two main functions - to manufacture various enzymes for digestion, and to release hormones to help control the body's use of carbohydrates. It releases insulin to help each cell absorb glucose to burn as energy. In this way, insulin controls the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Proper pancreatic function is very important: too much, too little, or no insulin production can be life-threatening. Some of the chemicals released by the pancreas are not hormones, but stimulate other glands to make hormones. Once again, balance is necessary. Nutritional requirements for the pancreas are many. Research indicates that chromium vitamins C, E, B-complex, calcium, magnesium and potassium are especially important.
Parasite (Parasites, Parasitic, Parasitical)
An organism living in or on another organism.
Pinworms (Enterobiasis, Enterobious vermicularis, Oxyuriasis, Pinworm, Pinworm Infection, Seatworm, Threadworm)
Small intestinal parasitic worms that infect mainly children but which are also common in families with children. Pinworms are about 1/2 an inch (1.25cm) in length, white, thin and pointed at both ends. The most common symptom is anal itching, as the worms come out at night to lay their eggs.
Steatorrhea
The presence of undigested fat in the feces. This may be the result of failing to inoculate fatty foods with enough surfactant (biliary soap) to digest them, the failure of the lower small intestine to absorb them, or simply too much fat for even normal digestion to handle. Sometimes this can indicate liver, gall bladder or lipid metabolism diseases. Usually the causes are subclinical and treatable with less invasive approaches such as herbs.
Syndrome
A medical condition characterized by a collection of related symptoms (what the patient feels) and signs (what a doctor can observe or measure).
Virus (Viri, Viruses)
Any of a vast group of minute structures composed of a protein coat and a core of DNA and/or RNA that reproduces in the cells of the infected host. Capable of infecting all animals and plants, causing devastating disease in immunocompromised individuals. Viruses are not affected by antibiotics, and are completely dependent upon the cells of the infected host for the ability to reproduce.
Last updated: Oct 08, 2008
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