Collection of stool for analysis. Collection of daily urine. General rules for collecting stool for analysis

It is one of the accessible, inexpensive and fairly informative methods for examining the gastrointestinal tract. The test process is simple, the result is ready within 1-2 days.

Feces are formed as a result of complex biochemical processes in the body, so the coprogram plays an important role in assessing the functioning of the organs of the digestive and excretory system.

Feces are formed in and consist of food debris, bile, various digestive enzymes, bacteria, etc.

A general stool analysis helps evaluate the functioning of the intestines and digestive system, identify various diseases and damage to the large intestine, and make a diagnosis. Information about how to donate, when to collect stool and how much stool is needed for analysis should be checked with your doctor. Properly collected material plays an important role in diagnosis.

The coprogram is carried out in 3 stages:

1. Macroscopic examination. During a macroscopic examination, external indicators of feces are assessed: its color, quantity, consistency, shape, presence of visible blood, mucus, pus. The shape and consistency of feces indicate bowel function and the presence or absence of constipation. Normally, stool is an amorphous softened mass of brown color. Deviations from the norm in this case indicate the presence of problems in the gastrointestinal tract. The color of stool largely depends on the diet, so it is impossible to diagnose any diseases at this stage of the examination.
2. Chemical examination. This important part of stool diagnosis includes testing for stool reaction (acidic or alkaline), the presence of occult blood and various protein residues (soluble proteins). The presence of proteins in stool indicates the presence of intestinal inflammation or impaired bile secretion. Chemical analysis of stool allows you to evaluate its composition.
3. Microscopic examination. A microscopic examination provides a detailed assessment of stool constituents, particles and elements. This includes assessing the amount of neutral fats, fatty acids, connective and muscle tissue, yeast, worm eggs, plant starch, and various protozoa in the stool.

Fecal analysis helps identify pathologies not only of the large intestine, but also of the small intestine, duodenum, and gall bladder.

A coprogram can be prescribed by a general practitioner or coloproctologist. A general stool test is prescribed for any problems with the functioning of the stomach and. This is one of the main procedures for determining further examination.

Coprogram is a non-invasive, painless and informative procedure. It is carried out to diagnose organ diseases, check the effectiveness of treatment and prevent helminthic infestations.

Indications for stool analysis:

• Abnormal stool. Chronic constipation and diarrhea indicate intestinal dysfunction. They can be symptoms of serious diseases and lead to various complications, such as colitis, hemorrhoids, and anal fissure. The norm of stool varies from person to person, but if stool retention lasts more than 2 days and causes pain, and the stool is very hard, we can speak of a violation. Diarrhea is defined as loose stool more than 2-3 times a day, leading to dehydration.
• Stomach ache. They can occur in any part of the abdomen, before or during bowel movements. Pain accompanies many diseases of the digestive and excretory system, including... If you experience regular abdominal pain, you should contact a gastroenterologist and undergo a thorough examination.
• Nausea and vomiting. These symptoms may indicate a malfunction of the stomach, pancreas, or gall bladder. If you have constant nausea, it is recommended to take a coprogram and undergo an FGS if you suspect a serious stomach disease.
• Flatulence. Increased and painful gas formation is often not considered an alarming symptom, but this can lead to colitis, helminthic intestinal infections, as well as pancreatitis and dysbiosis.
• Tenesmus. Tenesmus is a false urge to defecate. They may occur unexpectedly or only after visiting the toilet. This is a serious symptom indicating impaired intestinal motility. It often occurs with inflammatory diseases of the intestinal mucosa.

Preparation and collection of material

The reliability of the results largely depends on proper preparation and adherence to the rules for collecting material. The doctor warns about the necessary preparation in advance.Defecation should be natural. Do not induce bowel movements with suppositories, enemas or laxatives. They can disrupt its composition, speed up the passage of feces through the intestines, which will lead to the discovery of undigested particles in it. The only exception is examination for worm eggs. After taking a laxative, feces pass through the intestines faster, the worms do not have time to change.

On the eve of the analysis, you need to stick to a diet. 3-4 days before collecting the analysis, you need to exclude from the diet foods that irritate the intestines, increase gas formation and lead to constipation. You should not eat beets, blueberries, prunes, tomatoes and other foods that change the color of stool. It is also not recommended to eat green vegetables, meat and fish.

The container for collecting feces must be sterile; it is not recommended to collect feces in any container; it is better to purchase a container with a special spoon at the pharmacy.

Before collecting the analysis, you need to wash yourself and wipe dry. Do not allow urine, menstrual blood, or water to enter the stool.

The amount of feces should be no more than 1/3 of the container, that is, no more than 1 teaspoon. For a general stool analysis, more is not required.

More information about stool analysis can be found in the video:

Feces should be delivered to the laboratory as quickly as possible, preferably on the day of collection. However, bowel movements cannot be stimulated, and laboratories, as a rule, only accept tests in the morning. If morning stool is not possible, the latest evening stool should be collected and taken to the laboratory as early as possible in the morning. The material should be stored in a tightly closed sterile container at a temperature not exceeding 8 degrees.

Decoding and norm of main indicators

The analysis should be deciphered by a doctor. All analysis indicators are evaluated. If any violations are detected, further examination is prescribed.

Basic indicators:

• Shape and consistency. Normally, stool has a medium consistency, dense or mushy. A deviation is considered to be hard or liquid stool. The shape is usually oval.
• Color and inclusions. The color of the stool should be brown, yellowish or dark brown. Pathological is considered (if you follow a diet) reddish, greenish, white, with admixtures of blood or pus and the remains of undigested food.
• Fecal reaction. Feces must have a neutral environment. If it is acidic or alkaline, this indicates poor nutrition and intestinal dysfunction.
• Reaction to blood. If occult blood is detected in the stool, a bleeding focus may be suspected in the upper gastrointestinal tract: stomach. Hidden blood is also detected when there is microdamage to the intestinal walls.
• Reaction to bilirubin. Normally absent in feces. In the intestines, bilirubin is restored and changes its structure, therefore, if unchanged bilirubin is detected, most likely the intestinal microflora is disturbed or the movement of food through the intestines occurs too quickly.
• Reaction to stercobilin. Stercobilin is a protein fragment. Normally it is present in feces. If it is absent, then the flow of bile into the intestinal lumen is impaired.
• Muscle fibers and connective tissue. These particles are absent in the stool of a healthy person. The presence of these cells indicates damage to the mucosa and often accompany colitis.
• Starch. Intracellular as well as extracellular starch should be absent in feces. The presence of starch in feces is called amilorrhea. Amilorrhea can be detected with increased intestinal motility.

As a rule, this is only the first stage of the examination. Based on it, you can assume a diagnosis or determine the direction of further diagnosis, but it is impossible to diagnose yourself solely with the help of a coprogram.

Anyone who is interested in how to donate feces should study the basic requirements for the process of collecting material for research, its further storage and subsequent transportation to the laboratory. In medicine, submitting stool for analysis is called a coprogram. It is performed when there is a need to diagnose various disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

Rules for submitting stool for analysis

To undergo a stool test, it is important to strictly adhere to the specific instructions for this situation. First, you need to consider what these instructions are and how to collect material correctly for stool analysis, in order to subsequently obtain results that will allow you to find out about the real state of the body.

Firstly, the collected material must be delivered to the laboratory no later than 5-6 hours from the moment of its collection. This time interval is considered optimal. If this time increases, the microbiological composition of feces may change and the analysis result will be distorted. In other words, fresh material will produce more accurate results. The problem may lie in the work schedule of most Russian laboratories. After all, they take tests only in the morning, and even then not every day. Some people have the habit of emptying their bowels exclusively in the evening hours. And you won’t be able to entice children to sit on the potty before breakfast. What to do in such an ambiguous situation? If we are talking about an adult, then it makes sense for him to wait until the morning and not visit the toilet. Then in the morning he will have the opportunity to take a fresh portion of material for analysis. If it was not possible to endure it for a long time, then a portion of the latest portion of evening feces is removed and taken for examination in the morning.

Secondly, the material intended for research must be removed after natural bowel movement. That is, the masses must pass through the intestines in the required time, during which they are formed into the required form. The use of forced methods (laxatives and enemas) to collect material for study purposes is strictly prohibited. Because with this approach, the period of feces remaining in the intestines will be significantly reduced. Accordingly, the results of the coprogram will not be reliable. Fans of enemas should know that it is recommended to give them before taking the test no later than 3 days before collecting the material. Laxatives can be taken no later than 2 days before the delivery date. A simple example will help illustrate this situation. During the analysis of masses, a laboratory assistant may identify particles of food that are not completely digested; such residues may be fats, starches, etc. This situation will serve as a reason for detecting pancreatitis in a patient. Taking laxative medications will not allow this disease to be detected during the analysis.

Thirdly, it is better for women to refuse a stool test if its date coincides with the onset of menstruation. In a situation of urgent need, using a tampon can help out. It will create a barrier against blood particles getting into the stool.

Fourthly, during a period of at least 2 days, you should not resort to x-ray examinations of the digestive system, such as irrigoscopy and barium passage. This is due to the fact that they use a radiopaque substance called barium sulfate. It can lead not only to discoloration of feces, but also to an excessive change in their composition.

Fifthly, 3 days before the date of collection of material for analysis, it is recommended to avoid taking medications that affect peristalsis. These may include:

• Activated carbon;
• bismuth;
• polycarpine;
• rectal suppositories.

Sixth, you should eat properly for at least 3-4 days before the date of feces collection. There is no need to focus on food products that provoke the development of constipation, diarrhea, and increased gas formation. It is better to avoid eating foods that change the color of stool (beets, for example).

When submitting material for research, the task of which is to detect pathogens of intestinal infections, it is advisable to place it not only in a dry and clean container, but also in a sterile and sealed one (a container, for example).

When donating stool involves the subsequent identification of signs of “hidden blood” in the material, then 3 days before the date of analysis it makes sense not to eat foods that are rich in an element such as iron. And in particular this remark applies to offal and meat:

• chicken, turkey and rabbit;
• liver;
• heart;
• lungs;
• language;
• ears;
• beef, pork and lamb;
• ventricles;
• brains

When the material is submitted for analysis to diagnose worm eggs, it is slightly increased quantitatively in comparison with other tests. Also, the material should be collected from different places in the feces, and not in a single block.

It also makes sense to avoid brushing your teeth on the day before the test date.
Having studied these simple rules on how to donate feces, you can easily submit the material to the laboratory for research.

And then there will be no doubt about the reliability of the results.

Below is the video

Any medical procedure must be carried out in accordance with certain rules, on compliance with which its effectiveness depends. Intramuscular injections are made under aseptic conditions to avoid infection, tablets are taken in accordance with treatment regimens to prevent drug overdose, and so on. For some reason, patients believe that all these subtleties should be known and followed by medical staff, but they do not concern patients. The only rule known to most is that blood must be donated on an empty stomach. However, even submitting stool for examination is carried out after some preparation and in accordance with a number of important instructions.

Five general rules for donating stool

1.​ The sample obtained for analysis must be obtained as a result of spontaneous bowel movements, that is, without enemas or taking laxatives. The first ones are prohibited to be carried out less than 2 days before the study, the second - less than 2-3 days. Otherwise, the contents pass through the intestines faster, which disrupts the composition of the stool, which should have formed under natural conditions. For example, undigested food debris, fats, starch and other components may be detected, based on the presence of which a specialist has reason to suspect, for example, pancreatitis.

However, some researchers note that a sample obtained using laxatives sometimes better demonstrates the presence of Giardia: they are washed out of the duodenum and quickly enter the feces, without having time to modify and die in the underlying parts of the digestive tract.

2.​ The fresher the stool sample, the better. Optimally, 4-6 hours should pass from donating stool to the moment it gets to the laboratory. This is not an absolute criterion, it’s just that over time the composition of the stool, primarily microbiological, may change, which can affect the results.

Unfortunately, laboratories for receiving tests are only open during certain hours in the morning. Most medical institutions see them from 8 to 10 am. This makes the task somewhat difficult, because there are people who are used to going to the toilet only in the evening, and some children cannot be forced to sit on the potty after waking up with any force or tricks. What to do? If time is pressing, you can experiment and try to endure the next bowel movement until the morning; if that doesn’t work, hand in the latest possible evening portion and take it in immediately after the laboratory opens. Even such a sample is better than nothing.

3. Before donating stool, you should follow a proper healthy diet for 2-3 days, do not eat too many foods that cause gas, diarrhea or constipation. You should also avoid eating beets and other foods that can affect the color of your stool.

4. If possible, on the eve of sample collection, you should stop taking certain medications: activated carbon (gives stool a black color), bismuth (also affects color), rectal suppositories (change its composition), pilocarpine (affects peristalsis). Also, within 2 days before donating stool, you should not conduct X-ray contrast studies of the digestive organs (barium passage, irrigoscopy): barium sulfate, which patients take, gives the stool a white color and disrupts its composition.

5.​ It is advisable for women during menstruation to avoid donating feces. If this is necessary, you should use a swab to prevent blood from getting into the sample.

From theory to practice

Let's hope that all the rules outlined above are clear, simple and will be taken into account. Now let’s decide what the stool collection procedure itself should look like.

Before collection, you must first urinate and thoroughly wash the perineum with warm water and soap, and then dry well. It is highly undesirable for both urine and water to get into the sample. Many people neglect hygiene, believing that feces in themselves are “dirty”, and excess microbes from the surface of the skin will definitely not harm the results. However, along with germs, chemical components from linen and clothing can get into the stool, so it is better to pay sufficient attention to this point.

You need to defecate in a dry, clean container, for example, a bedpan or, if the patient is a child, a potty. What to do if there is no vessel at home, as in most families? Some “hand over” feces into the toilet, if its design allows it, and then take the sample from there. However, this is undesirable, since the cleanliness of the toilet is not ideal. You can offer an alternative - stretch cling film over the toilet seat, comfortably do your business on it and collect a sample; many people do just that.

The sample is collected in a clean, sealed container, glass or plastic. By volume you need to take about a teaspoon of feces. Then the dishes are sealed and taken to the laboratory.

Special instructions when taking certain tests

Before taking the test, you must avoid foods containing iron, primarily meat and offal, for 3-4 days before the test. Also, at this time, invasive interventions on the gastrointestinal tract (gastroscopy, colonoscopy) are not performed, and on the day before the analysis you should even stop brushing your teeth. A highly sensitive chemical reaction can give a false positive answer if it detects components of destroyed blood (including simple iron) in the stool.

A stool sample intended for testing for dysbacteriosis () must be collected not just in clean, but in sterile containers. Microbes from contaminated walls can enter the sample and affect the results.

When collecting, it is better to make the sample a little larger in volume than it should be, and collect it from several places, rather than taking it “in one block.”

If you are about to undergo a stool test, make sure that you have prepared for the test properly and have not violated any of the listed rules. And, even if compliance with them seems difficult and dreary to you, do not forget that this is the key to obtaining the right results, that is, you are acting in your own interests.

PS: Read also “ “, “ “

Food, passing through the gastrointestinal tract, undergoes successive transformations and is gradually absorbed. Feces are the result of the digestive system. When examining feces, the condition of the digestive system and various digestion defects are assessed. Therefore, scatology is an indispensable component in the diagnosis of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and helminthiases.

There are different types of stool examinations. Which of them will be done is determined by the purpose of the study. This can be a diagnosis of gastrointestinal pathology, helminthiases, and changes in microflora. Clinical analysis of stool is sometimes carried out selectively, only according to the parameters necessary in a particular case.

General analysis

Examination of excrement can be divided into general stool analysis and examination under a microscope (called a coprogram). In general, the quantity, smell, color, consistency, impurities are examined; microscopic analysis reveals undigested muscle and plant fibers, salts, acids and other inclusions. Nowadays, a coprogram is often called general analysis. Thus, CPG is the study of the physical, chemical properties of feces and the pathological components in them.

Stool tests to detect protozoa are carried out if amoebiasis or trichomoniasis is suspected. Trichomonas are difficult to see in feces. When taking material for this purpose, you cannot use enemas, laxatives, or treat the feces container with disinfectant liquids. The interpretation will be correct only if examined immediately, a maximum of 15 minutes after collecting the material. The search for cysts does not require such urgency; they are stable in the external environment. To reliably detect Shigella, a piece of feces with blood or mucus is taken and placed in a container with a special preservative.

Clinical picture

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Stool analysis shows the presence of intestinal pathogens in the body and the ratio of different types of bacteria.

Sowing on nutrient media will make it possible to objectify quantitative and qualitative changes in the intestinal microflora.

Stool analysis should be carried out no later than three hours after taking the morning portion of stool. It is advisable to store the sample refrigerated (). Stool analysis cannot be performed during antibiotic therapy, optimally two weeks after its completion. It is important to avoid urine and vaginal discharge, especially during menstruation. The volume of the sample should be at least 10 ml, the sample should be taken from different parts of the feces, making sure to include areas with mucus and blood.

Analysis of stool by scraping in the perianal area is carried out to detect pinworm eggs. The material must be examined no later than three hours after collection.

So what does the analysis show:

• protozoa and microbes that cause intestinal infections;
• the presence of helminths and their eggs;
• state of microflora;
• digestion defects;
• effectiveness of treatment (with follow-up);
• in children - signs of cystic fibrosis and lactose deficiency.

Rules for conducting research

To obtain reliable data, you need to know how to properly collect feces and when a stool analysis should be deciphered.

An example of a correctly taken sample:

1. Before the examination, you should be on a diet for several days that excludes flatulence, stained stools, retention or diarrhea.
2. A scatological analysis of stool should be taken during natural bowel movements. Enemas, laxatives, including rectal suppositories, Microlax microenemas cannot be used, as the true picture of the study may be distorted.
3. A general stool analysis is reliable if, within three days before collecting the material, the patient did not take medications that could change the color or character of feces (barium, iron, bismuth).
4. A scatological analysis of stool should be carried out no later than five hours after collecting the material.
5. The optimal volume for testing is about two teaspoons (about 30 grams of feces).
6. To detect helminthiasis, it is better to take samples from different parts of a portion of excrement.
7. The material should be collected in a sterile container.

Decoding the research results

It is very important to correctly decipher the stool analysis. To do this, you need to know the research algorithm and normal indicators.

The patient's decoding includes three main points: macroscopy (examination), biochemistry, microscopy (the actual coprogram).

Inspection

Clinical analysis of stool begins with its visual assessment. The norm implies a dense consistency and dark color of excrement, the absence of mucus, blood, foul odor, undigested food particles and other pathological impurities.

Biochemistry

A chemical analysis of stool is performed.

A normal stool analysis implies the following negative biochemical reactions to the following elements:

• occult blood;
• bilirubin;
• iodophilic flora;
• starch;
• protein;
• fatty acid.

The reaction to stercobilin should be positive (75–350 mg per day). It provides color and reflects the functioning of the liver and large intestine; its amount increases with hemolytic anemia and decreases with disorders of the outflow of bile.

Ammonia is normally 20–40 mmol/kg.

It is important to determine the acid-base state of excrement using litmus paper; the pH of feces should be close to neutral values ​​(6-8). Changes in the acidity of intestinal contents are possible due to microflora or diet disorders.

Microscopy

A stool analysis under a microscope is also necessary. The coprogram carries information about the presence of pathological components in excrement and allows one to assess the quality of food digestion. Examination of stool in children will help in the diagnosis of infections and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, cystic fibrosis, enzymatic and dysbacterial disorders, and helminthic infestations.

The norm implies the absence of the following substances:

• undigested fat and its derivatives;
• muscle fibers;
• connective tissue;
• crystals from the remains of destroyed blood cells.

Yeast and other fungi are also normally absent in stool analysis.

Stool microscopy is also used to objectively assess the dynamics of the patient’s condition.

What diseases can a stool test help diagnose?

What do certain deviations from the norm that were found during laboratory examination of excrement indicate? Options for changing normal stool parameters exist for various diseases.

Deviations during macroscopy

Discoloration indicates gallstone disease, since the stones disrupt the flow of bile, stercobilin does not enter the intestines, and the stool loses its dark color. This phenomenon is observed in pancreatic cancer, hepatitis, and cirrhosis of the liver.

Black color and tar consistency are a sign of a peptic ulcer, a tumor complicated by gastric bleeding.

Reddish color of stool causes bleeding in the lower intestines.

The foul odor is due to rotting or fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract. Its appearance is possible with chronic pancreatitis, dysbacteriosis, and cancer.

Elements of undigested food may be found in the excrement. This indicates a deficiency of gastric juice, bile, enzymes, or an acceleration of peristalsis when food simply does not have time to be absorbed.

Fresh blood is possible for anal fissures, hemorrhoids, ulcerative colitis

Mucus plays a protective role. Its detection indicates the presence of inflammation of the intestinal walls. , dysentery, colitis are characterized by a large amount of mucus in the excrement. Mucus is also found in cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, malabsorption syndromes, irritable bowel syndrome, hemorrhoids, and polyps.

Changes in biochemistry

If there is a change in the acid-base properties of the stool being tested, this indicates disturbances in the digestion of food. The alkaline environment of excrement is a consequence of putrefactive processes due to impaired protein breakdown, the acidic environment is due to fermentation, which is observed with excess consumption or impaired absorption of carbohydrates.

Occult blood testing is used to detect gastric and intestinal bleeding in peptic ulcers, polyps, cancer of various parts of the gastrointestinal tract, and the presence of helminths. To avoid erroneous results, three days before the intended collection of material, foods containing iron should be excluded from the diet, and traumatic procedures such as FGDS and colonoscopy should not be performed. If you have periodontal disease, it is better not to brush your teeth on the day of the test so that there is no blood from the diseased gums.

Bilirubin can be detected in acute poisoning and gastroenteritis.

Protein is found in pancreatitis and atrophic gastritis.

If starch appears, it is necessary to exclude pancreatitis, malabsorption, and pathology of the small intestine.

Iodophilic flora appears in dysbacteriosis, pathology of the pancreas, stomach, and fermentative dyspepsia. They are especially often found during fermentation, acid reaction of intestinal contents and acceleration of its evacuation.

Ammonia increases during putrefactive processes, against the background of inflammation and impaired protein digestion.

Deviations of microscopic analysis

A lot of muscle fibers in excrement are observed with pancreatitis and atrophic gastritis. They can be found in young children, with diarrhea, and poor chewing of tough meat.

Connective fibers can be found in gastritis with low acidity, pancreatitis, and when eating poorly cooked meat.

If neutral fat, elements of fatty acids and their salts are detected, this indicates insufficient production of bile and pancreatic enzymes. Possible reasons:

• pancreatitis;
• pancreatic tumor;
• stones in the bile ducts;
• increased peristalsis when fats do not have time to be absorbed;
• malabsorption in the intestine;
• eating too fatty foods;
• use of rectal suppositories.

In children, the presence of fat may be associated with incompletely developed digestive function.

When the acidity of excrement changes to the alkaline side, soaps (salts of undigested fatty acids) are found. Their detection in large quantities in adults is possible due to accelerated peristalsis and pathology of the biliary tract.

Soluble plant fiber indicates decreased production of gastric juice and other enzymes.

The appearance of yeast-like fungi indicates dysbiosis due to immunodeficiency or antibiotic therapy.

In stool analysis, a high level of leukocytes is noted in cases of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, rectal fissures, and oncology.

Stool analysis has a medical name - coprogram. This study is an effective method for identifying various disorders in the pancreas, stomach, liver, gallbladder, small and large intestines.

The coprogram will help to find out the cause of:

• nausea and vomiting;
• flatulence;
• diarrhea;
• constipation;
• bloating;
• unpleasant belching;
• lack of appetite;
• pain in the abdominal area.

How to prepare for a stool test?

The preparatory stage is no less important than the actual collection of feces. Therefore, many people wonder how to take a stool test and how to properly prepare for this procedure.

1. First, it is worth noting that before collecting feces, it is necessary to urinate and perform hygiene procedures for the genitals using soap. Then you need to thoroughly dry the perineum with a towel. This will prevent urine and water from getting into your stool, which can cause inaccurate results.
2. Many people neglect this advice, believing that feces themselves are sewage, and microorganisms that get into them on the surface of the genitals and skin cannot in any way affect the result obtained. This is fundamentally wrong. After all, not only these microorganisms can get into the feces, but also particles of chemicals present on clothes and underwear. For example, particles of washing powder used to wash underwear.
3. To collect stool you will need a dry, clean container. For example, it could be a pot or a vessel. But not everyone has a “duck” or a pot in their house. Therefore, many people collect feces directly from the toilet, if its design, of course, allows this to be done. It must be said right away that the toilet is not a perfectly clean place, so collecting feces in this way is undesirable.
4. There is an alternative to collecting stool directly from the toilet. For these purposes, many use cling film, which is stretched over the toilet seat. After defecation, feces are collected in a prepared container.
5. Collect feces only in an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. This container must be made of glass or plastic. In terms of quantity, about 5 g of stool (a full teaspoon) must be collected for analysis.

Rules for submitting a coprogram

Many people mistakenly believe that compliance with the conditions and rules for conducting a particular study concerns only medical personnel. But not everyone takes into account that this also applies to patients. When taking any test, certain requirements must be followed. For example, medications should be taken only according to the schedule, blood from a finger and vein should be taken on an empty stomach, and injection procedures should be carried out in sanitary conditions. The effectiveness of research and procedures depends on compliance with these rules.

As for submitting stool for research, such rules also exist for this procedure. They must be strictly observed. So, you should consider in detail how to properly take a stool test in order to get the most accurate results.

Rule #1

It is recommended to submit stool to the laboratory no later than 5-6 hours after collection. This is the optimal time period. If this period is exceeded, the microbiological composition of stool may change, which will affect the results of the analysis. That is, the fresher the stool submitted to the laboratory, the more accurate the results will be.
The difficulty may lie in the fact that almost all laboratories accept tests exclusively in the morning and only on certain days of the week. Some people are used to going to the toilet in the evenings, and small children cannot be forced to sit on the potty before breakfast with any tricks. How to be?
If such situations arise, it is recommended to try to endure it once without defecating in the evening, so that in the morning you have the opportunity to collect a fresh portion of feces. If you can’t bear it, then you should take the latest portion from the evening stool and take it to the laboratory in the morning.

Rule #2

Stool intended for analysis must be formed naturally. That is, feces must pass through the intestines in a certain time, during which it is formed properly. The use of laxatives and enemas to collect stool for examination is unacceptable. After all, the period of stay of feces in the intestines will be significantly reduced, which will prevent its natural formation and, accordingly, obtaining accurate coprogram results.

In addition, an enema can be given no later than 3 days before collecting stool for analysis. You can take laxatives no later than two days before the test.

As an example, we can cite a situation where a specialist, during a stool examination, may find food residues in its composition that have not been completely digested. These can be starches, fats and much more. Based on these signs, the specialist will identify the presence of pancreatitis in the patient. And if the test had been taken with the patient using laxatives, it would not have been possible to identify this disease during the test.

Rule #3

During menstruation, women should avoid submitting stool for testing. If there is an urgent need to do this, you need to use a tampon. This will prevent blood from getting into the stool.

Rule #4

For at least two days before submitting stool for analysis, it is necessary to refrain from conducting X-ray examinations of the gastrointestinal tract:

• irrigoscopy;
• barium passage.

The fact is that during these procedures a radiopaque substance such as barium sulfate is used. And it can not only discolor feces, but also significantly change its composition.

Rule #5

Also, three days before collecting stool for examination, it is not recommended to take medications that affect peristalsis, composition and color of stool. These drugs include:

• bismuth;
• Activated carbon;
• polycarpine;
• rectal suppositories.

Rule #6

It is recommended to follow a healthy diet for 3-4 days before collecting stool for testing. You should not abuse foods that contribute to constipation, diarrhea, and the formation of gas. Also, you should not eat foods that can change the color of stool, such as beets.

1. If stool is submitted for research, the purpose of which is to detect pathogens of intestinal infection in it, it must be collected not just in a clean and dry container, but in a specially prepared sterile container (container).
2. If you donate stool to detect the presence of “hidden” blood in its composition, you should not eat foods rich in iron for 3 days before the test. First of all, this applies to meat products and offal:

• rabbit, chicken, turkey;
• hearts;
• liver;
• language;
• lungs;
• ears;
• lamb, pork, veal;
• brains;
• ventricles.

3. If stool needs to be tested to detect worm eggs, it should be taken in slightly larger quantities than for other types of research. In addition, the feces must be collected from different places, and not from a single block.
4. On the day before collecting stool for analysis, it is better to refrain from brushing your teeth.
By adhering to the “simple” rules described above, you can safely submit stool for laboratory testing, which will allow you to obtain accurate results.