What is this test?

In this test, a sample of your stool(feces/poop) are examined under a microscope. The report tells you whether parasites, pus, blood or other abnormalities are present in your stool.

How do I know that I need a stool test?

Do this test if you have :

• Loose Motions: Loose motions, are often caused by stomach infections, and a stool test can help determine the cause.
• Blood stained stools: Passing blood in stools, may be a sign of cancer, infection or even piles. Stool test can help know the cause.
• Clay Colored Stools: If your poop looks whitis or gray in color, you should get a stool test to rule out liver diseases
• Bloating and belching: Belching and bloating with gas are signs of stomach infections and could be further investigated with a stool test.

How is the test done?

This test requires a single sample of your feces or poop. You will be provided with a stool container from the lab. You are required to provide preferably the first morning sample. If this not possible, any random sample can also be provided.

Follow these steps to collect the sample :

• Start passing stools like normal, and let the initial part fall into the toilet.
• Around midway of your normal motions, collect around a spoonfull of the feces into the container.
• The lab tests need only 10-20 grams (around one spoon of sample). Do not collect more than this amount
• Cap the container and write your name on it, as well as the time of collection
• If you are collecting the sample at home, jeep it in the fridge till the lab picks up the sample.
• Do not add water or soap into the container. Do not scrape stool/feces from the floor of the toilet and add it into the container. The toilet contains many germs and it will complicate our reporting process.

What will be included in the report?

The stool test report include 27 parameters. Check the normal stool report PDF for more details. Here is a brief summary of the report :

Parameter	Meaning
Parasites	Checks for amoeba, giardia, worms and their eggs. These are most common causes of loose motions, pain and bloating.
Pus Cells and Red Cells	These are signs of infection. They are seen when you have bloody, foul smelling loose stools. They indicate infection by Shigella or E.Coli - also called travellers diarrhea
Other cells and ova/cyst	Eggs of worms, and other cells that maybe seen in infections
Occult Blood	Small quantities of blood in the stool, invisible to the eye are detected by this test. It may be an early sign of intestinal cancer, especially in men above 55 years og age.
Sugar and Fat	This test checks for sugars and fats in the stool. They are not normally present. If present, it means the body is not able to take up sugar or fat. This is seen in diseases like IBS, celiac sprue, food intolerance etc.
Stool color, odour, quantity, ph	These are physical properties and must be reported to give your doctor an overview of the stool

Who should do this test?

Urine test should be done by the following groups of people:

• Stomach diseases : People with stomach disorders like stomach ulcers, stomach infections should do this test regularly.
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome Patients - to check for inadequate absorption of fat
• Travellers and Tourists When shifting to a new place or on returning from a foreign trip, it is advisable to get this test to make sure you did not pick up some parasites or worms during your stay.
• Food allergies and intolerance - if you have bloating, belching, vomitting or diarrhea after eating a specific food (eg milk), a stool test can help to know if your body is not able to metabolize the food.
• Cancer Screening - Stool occult blood test screens for large intestinal cancer, so all men above 55 should get this test done at least once.

Summary

Sample Type	Stool
Time to Get Report	1 hour
Test Method	Dipstick & Microscopy
Normal Range	Parasites,Ova,Cyste - Absent, Pus Cells - Upto 2, Red Cells - Upto 1, Macrophages - Upto 1, Occult Blood - Negative, ph - 7 to 8, Sugar - Absent, Fat - Absent
Purpose of test	Screens stool for infection, parasites, food intolerance
Intended for	All genders, all ages
Fasting Required	No
Total Tests	17
Doctor's Prescription Required	No
Reports Available By	PDF available through Watsapp,Email and Hardcopy(on request)
Other Names	Stool Routine, Stool Routine and Microscopy, Stool with OB test, Stool Occult Blood Test