How to donate feces. How to collect a stool sample for an adult. How is the study of the material in the laboratory

Many people wonder what is a fecal analysis, and why is it needed, and is it possible to detect serious diseases through such a diagnosis? The analysis is carried out in order to study the state of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and the digestive system as a whole.

Why is fecal mass diagnostics necessary?

In the normal state, feces have an amorphous consistency, and consist mainly of the remains of foods consumed by humans. In a healthy person, only food residues are visible in the feces, since the stomach does not always fully digest all the food. The presence of inclusions such as blood, mucus, or a change in the color and consistency of feces is a good reason to seek help from specialists. Usually, to identify the true cause of diseases, doctors offer to take feces for analysis. In medicine, such an analysis is called a coprogram. This research method requires special training, and also allows you to identify the exact cause of the following stable conditions:

Nausea, open vomiting
Blood in feces
Flatulence
Belching accompanied by an unpleasant odor and aftertaste
Painful symptoms in the stomach
Dysbacteriosis

The coprogram as a research method carefully examines the components of the fecal mass, gives an objective assessment of the patient's health status. Thanks to the results of the coprogram, the specialist will be able not only to find out about the cause of the disease and make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe an adequate method of treatment.

Special container for collecting feces

Preparation for the test is as important as the diagnosis itself. Therefore, the following recommendations have been developed:

Feces must be collected in the morning. Immediately before collection, it is imperative to carry out hygiene procedures for the genitals and anus using soap. Secretions, blood, drops of urine from the genitourinary organs should not get into the biomaterial, and fragments of feces from the toilet bowl should not be collected - this can qualitatively affect the results.
If stool is taken for occult blood testing, then a few days before its collection, special preparation of the body is required, namely, to refuse to use foods that contain large quantities. A day before the delivery, refuse medicines so as not to provoke a chemical coloring of the feces.
If the sample is intended to detect microbes and infections that provoke dysbacteriosis, then it would be advisable to follow a strict diet for several days. Only in this way will the coprogram be able to determine what is the main cause of dysbacteriosis - infection or malnutrition.

Basic principles of stool collection

In order to obtain accurate results, feces must be collected with the following preparation knowledge in mind:

The sample must be obtained naturally and no laxatives or enemas should be used.
Preparation for the collection of feces should begin with a sterile stick and utensils. The collection is recommended to be stored only in a sterile container.
For the test, only a fresh sample of feces is needed. The optimal time from collection to the moment of sending to the laboratory should be no more than 3-4 hours, since after 4 hours the microbiological composition of the feces changes. Store in a cool place.
Do not collect feces from the toilet. Living microorganisms on the walls of the toilet will enter the composition of the feces, which will affect the results of the coprogram. It is better to empty yourself in a clean bag, a pot. You can also put cling film on the toilet bowl.
To identify worms and their eggs, you need to take several samples, that is, collect feces from 2-3 stools.
During menstruation, refuse to take tests. If it is necessary for health reasons, then you need to use a swab so that blood does not get into the sample.

Many people wonder how much stool should be collected for one sample? Experts say that 10-15 grams of stool is enough.

Dishes for collecting feces

Before proceeding with the delivery of biomaterial for laboratory examination, certain preparation is also necessary. Today, you can buy sterile containers for the delivery of feces at any pharmacy. A special container is characterized as a sterile dish, it can be glass and plastic. The container is sold complete with a lid and a spatula. If it is not possible to purchase a container at a pharmacy, then you can store the collection in a small bottle with a cap, which must first be thoroughly rinsed and dried.

Prior to the delivery of the biomaterial to the laboratory, it is recommended to store it in a tightly closed container, at a temperature not higher than +5 degrees. If the room is hot, then the biomaterial must be stored in a cool place, since there is a possibility that active processes of fermentation and reproduction of putrefactive bacteria will begin in the biomaterial.

If the feces are handed over to determine dysbacteriosis, then the collection can take place at any time of the day, respectively, the question arises of how long the biomaterial can be stored in the refrigerator. The answer to this question is simple - no more than a day.

By following these simple rules for collecting biomaterial, you can take a high-quality sample to the laboratory, which will reveal the cause of the disease.

Many patients ask how many days does it take to diagnose a biomaterial? Experts say that no more than a day.

The main indicators of fecal masses

The main features by which the study is built and deviations from the norm are determined:

Consistency
Smell
Presence of protein
WBC level

Let's consider each of these signs separately.

Colour. The reddish hue of feces indicates ulcerative or oncological diseases. Moreover, blood may be present in the feces. Yellow color - indicates a violation of the digestive process, the presence of infection and dysbacteriosis. Black color is a sign of bleeding or the presence of blood clots in the stomach cavity. Light yellow is a sign of hepatitis and pancreatitis. White color indicates blockage of the bile duct.
Consistency. Loose stools are associated with the presence of inflammatory processes, dysbacteriosis and hypersecretion of the mucous membrane in the small intestine. Ointment-like feces indicates cholecystitis and pancreatitis. Dense feces indicates the presence of stenosis or inflammation of the colon. The colon begins to store processed food material, resulting in constipation and dense masses of feces.
Smell. Weak odor is associated with disorders such as accelerated evacuation or indigestion. In the presence of an ulcer, the smell of feces is characterized by a putrid odor. A sour smell will give out about violations of the pancreas and that there is blood in the feces.

The presence of protein and the level of leukocytes in feces

Another factor that serves to determine intestinal dysfunctions is the presence of protein and the level of leukocytes. In a healthy person, proteins and leukocytes are absent in the feces. The presence of such inclusions may indicate quite serious diseases, here is a small list of them, the most famous:

Fissures in the rectum
chronic hemorrhoids,
Oncological diseases
Gastritis
polyps
cirrhosis
Dysbacteriosis

With regards to the high level of leukocytes, this indicates the course of the inflammatory process in the digestive system. To identify the localization of the inflammatory process, correct bacteriological diagnosis is necessary. If you apply both methods to the study of the gastrointestinal tract, then the output can be obtained results that will reveal a number of diseases such as:

The state of infectious dysbacteriosis
Intestinal disorders, both small and duodenal
Presence of colitis
Inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract
Violation in the functioning of the liver
Unstable work of the pancreas
The rapid passage of products and their removal from the stomach and intestines, skipping the process of digestion.

The effectiveness of the coprological method of studying the analysis of feces has been clinically and scientifically proven, based on examinations and a survey of a large number of patients who have undergone such a study, they note that they have completely recovered from both simple and complex chronic diseases of the esophagus.

To diagnose diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and determine the presence of helminthic invasion, fecal analysis is performed. The accuracy of the result depends on the method of collection of feces, its storage, transportation and examination by a laboratory doctor. Therefore, patients should know how to properly pass a stool test for a coprogram.

What tests require stool collection?

When referring to the analysis of feces, the doctor indicates on the form which study needs to be carried out and tells the patient how much feces can be stored for analysis. It is determined by the alleged diagnosis.

Before prescribing a stool test, the attending physician tells the patient how to properly pass a stool test. By remembering a few rules, a person will be able to successfully pass the test, getting the right results.

Rules for preparing for fecal analysis

A week before the fecal analysis, it is unacceptable to take medications that will distort the true results. Rectal suppositories are not used a day before the analysis. If a person takes medications that cannot be canceled, he warns the attending physician about this.
The collection of feces occurs after self-emptying of the intestines. To prepare the body for fecal analysis, laxatives and enemas should not be used.

Allowed foods: vegetables, dairy products, potatoes, pasta.

Before the study, the patient must prepare the body, namely, to refuse fatty, fried, salty, spicy. Allowed foods: vegetables, dairy products, potatoes, pasta. Limit your intake of foods containing iron.
If a study is carried out in an infant, then he should not be introduced to a new product. It may not be well absorbed by the digestive tract when first consumed.

Rules for collecting feces for analysis

Before prescribing a fecal analysis, the doctor explains to the patient how to properly collect feces.

Before taking a fecal analysis, patients ask their therapists how much feces can be stored so that the examination is accurate. Not all human biological samples are stored in the same way. The storage time of feces depends on the purpose of the study. It is allowed to take a fecal analysis in the evening, but not earlier.

Coprogram. To properly pass a fecal analysis for a coprogram, you need to empty your intestines in the morning and immediately send the stool to the laboratory. If the deadlines do not fit, the feces are left in the refrigerator, where the stool analysis is stored until the morning. The time between defecation and delivery should not exceed nine hours. The container can be stored in the refrigerator on the main shelf. If the feces are on the door or in the freezer, the result will be distorted by constantly opening the refrigerator or freezing. The temperature inside it should not exceed 9 degrees.
Analysis of feces for opisthorchiasis and eggs of worms. The study is carried out in a short time, otherwise the helminths are destroyed by enzymes in the excrement. Keep the feces in the refrigerator using preservatives taken from the laboratory assistant. With preservatives, excrement will last longer, but no more than 5 hours.
Dysbacteriosis. This analysis allows you to determine the quantitative ratio of virulent and non-pathogenic intestinal microflora. If there are more pathogenic microorganisms, then their degree of sensitivity to antibiotics is determined. There are conditionally pathogenic bacteria that do not harm the body under normal environmental conditions and the absence of adverse factors. The stool is collected before treatment. The maximum delivery time for excrement is three hours, this time it is kept in the cold.

Important! The doctor will make an accurate diagnosis if all criteria are met. If the laboratory assistant noticed a violation of storage, a second test is prescribed, specifying to the patient how much feces can be stored for analysis.

Transportation of feces for analysis

Since most stool samples are transported from home, the sample may deteriorate on the way. Therefore, it is necessary to know the rules that will prevent this.

With self-assembly of the chair. The stool is sent to the laboratory in the morning. It must be in a clean container without air access.
Sending by courier. This is a health care service that performs manipulations at home. The service is beneficial for people who work hard, disabled people and children who are afraid of hospitals. It is necessary to clarify with workers how to store feces before the arrival of employees and delivery to the laboratory.
If you donate feces in a medical facility, transportation is not required, the health worker takes the excrement immediately.
The study of all biological materials of a person depends on how accurately the doctor explained how to properly take samples. If a mother gives her baby's feces and he has a bowel movement at night, she needs to know how to properly store the stool so that the result is accurate.

To establish a diagnosis associated with digestive disorders, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, doctors often order a person to take stool tests. Patients often neglect the methods of preparation and correct collection of the analysis, or simply do not know how to take a fecal analysis.

And this often leads to the fact that an adult or child is diagnosed incorrectly and prescribed inappropriate treatment.

Therefore, patients should understand that a proper examination of feces will be carried out only if all the rules for passing the analysis are followed.

What are stool tests?

Before you start collecting feces for analysis, the child's parents or the person himself must understand what they are handing over, what kind of analysis will be carried out, since the rules for preparing and collecting analyzes will entirely depend on this.

Pass the analysis of feces for:

Before carrying out a fecal analysis, you need to find out what tests are done in the hospital, and consult about the time of taking the material.

How to collect feces for a coprogram?

Before you start collecting feces, you need to prepare for the test.

For this you need:

Empty the bladder (there should be no foreign matter and urine in the feces).
Wash with soap and dry with a towel.
Do not use wet wipes or other hygiene products.

Also, before passing feces, you must follow a diet for a couple of days, which will allow you not to burden the intestines and prevent constipation. Dairy products, cereals and broths are perfect for this.

When to collect feces- very important information. It is best to pass the morning feces, but if this is not possible, then collected in the evening will do. It must be kept in a tightly closed container, placed in the refrigerator door overnight.

What to carry analysis is the second important question. It is best to purchase a special sterile container with a spoon at the pharmacy. It can easily collect both liquid and solid feces. They also take ordinary glassware for these purposes instead of a pharmacy container, sterilize it and collect the analysis.

It is enough to take a small amount of feces - one or two teaspoons. It is important to take feces correctly. This can be done either by going to the toilet directly into the jar.

Or collect feces in a jar with a special spoon from:

a sterile film that was used to go to the toilet while sitting on a toilet seat;
the baby's diaper, on which he emptied himself;
pot or duck, previously peeled.

If a person does not have the opportunity to collect feces directly into a prepared container, then a duck can be used for this. Wash it with soap and rinse with boiling water. You can also put a film on the toilet seat and go to it.

You can not take feces from the toilet itself, unwashed duck, scrape off underwear. Also, do not use laxatives and enemas to induce bowel movements for constipation. If you do not feel like going to the toilet, then you can wait, but force yourself to go on your own.

For women, it will be important to mention that the correct delivery of feces involves the prevention of blood from the vagina during menstruation into the material. Therefore, the delivery of the analysis should either be postponed, or use a swab and wash well after that.

Video

How to donate feces for occult blood?

This analysis is taken in the same way as the previous one. An important point is to follow a diet before taking the test. For 3-5 days, you need to stop eating organ meats, as well as fish.

Avoid foods high in iron. Since these substances are able to stain the feces in a dark color, and the meat can pass with undigested blood, it is better to protect yourself from this, because, having noticed blood in the feces, the doctor may make an incorrect diagnosis, suspecting a severe pathology.

Putting feces on the eggs of the worm

In children, such an analysis is collected more often than in adults. Here it is important to collect the feces quickly and it is advisable to deliver it warm to the hospital for analysis (two to three teaspoons of the material are taken). This is necessary due to the fact that some worms die and they may not be found in the feces during long-term storage.

Whether it is possible to hand over an evening kcal at the given analysis? Not desirable. It is better to prepare a jar in the evening and wait until the morning, since many worms leave the body best in the morning, and can even crawl out of a person's anus at night. You can eat anything you like before passing such an analysis.

Interesting video:

How to do a scraping?

Often, laboratory assistants hear a request to do a scraping from the feces of a child that parents brought. This question always brings a smile. Scraping is an analysis for pinworm eggs and it is impossible to identify them in the feces. In order to make a scraping, you need to stick a small piece of adhesive tape (2cm * 5cm) to the anus of an adult or child. Then this adhesive tape is immediately glued to the glass (it can be a glass issued in a hospital, or maybe an ordinary home jar - the main thing is that it is clean). Glass is brought to the laboratory and analyzed there. It is easier to collect feces from an adult than from a baby, especially if he does not go to the potty yet. In this case, a clean potty, a diaper can help. You can't take feces from diapers. Before emptying, you need to put the baby on his stomach for a few minutes, turn him over on his back and massage his tummy, and the feces will come out on a clean diaper. With older children it is easier - just put them on the potty. If the crumbs are unable to go to the toilet due to constipation, then you can consult a doctor about the advisability of taking laxatives, you can’t give them on your own, so as not to spoil the analysis.

It is clear that children cannot adjust the time of defecation, but it is better that the feces are not stored for more than 12 hours, otherwise the result may be unreliable.

When collecting fecal analysis from an adult or a child, it is important to adhere to the above rules. This will help to conduct the study of the material more accurately.

You will receive a reliable analysis and in case of pathology, you will be prescribed the right treatment. After all, taking certain drugs unnecessarily can, on the contrary, worsen health. Therefore, it is important to understand that the correctness of the results primarily depends on the collection of material for analysis.

Some people believe that any container, for example, a matchbox, as in Soviet times, is suitable for collecting and delivering feces to a medical facility. This is completely wrong, since the surface of the first jar or box that comes to hand contains bacteria and other microorganisms that are completely unnecessary for research. If you do not want extraneous factors mixed into the results of your tests, you must purchase a special container for collecting feces from a pharmacy.

This is a sterile plastic container with a screw cap, into which a special miniature spatula is inserted to collect material - so as not to touch it with improvised means, again inhabited by bacteria and microbes. Containers for feces are hermetically packed and have a very affordable cost - from five to thirty rubles. After the purchased container is opened, it is unacceptable to wash it, wipe it with something, touch the inner surface with hands or other objects.

Also, an absorbent diaper may be required to collect the analysis. They are also sold in pharmacies, it will be enough to buy one piece (the price is about fifteen rubles). The diaper is useful in order to prevent contact of feces with the surface of the toilet. Despite the fact that you can defecate in another container, previously disinfected, most people are more comfortable and accustomed to walking “in a big way” on the toilet.

How to collect a stool sample for an adult: collection rules

After you have acquired the necessary sterile container, you can prepare to collect the material. It is important to understand that you need to donate fresh feces, that is, it is advisable to go to the toilet in the morning, on the day of visiting the hospital. For adults, it is acceptable to take material collected late in the evening for analysis, in which case a tightly closed container should be stored in the refrigerator.

The day before the test, it is necessary to limit the intake of food that is harmful or atypical for you, if possible, stop taking vitamins, dietary supplements, and medicines. It is forbidden to take alcoholic beverages, as well as foods that can cause stool upset (a large amount of fruits, lactic acid foods, eat foods that are incompatible with each other). Also, you can not put an enema to collect material, take laxatives, use rectal suppositories.

The first step is to visit the toilet to urinate. Then - go through water procedures - wash the genital area and anus with baby soap or an intimate hygiene product. After that, you need to dry yourself thoroughly with a towel so that water does not get into the stool and, ultimately, does not distort the results. Women whose periods have fallen out at the time of the test and it is impossible to postpone them should use a tampon so that blood does not get into the collected material.

Decide in advance how it will be more comfortable for you to carry out the procedure. To collect material for a coprogram, you can choose one of two methods:

Use a duck or a vessel, having previously washed them with soap and scalded with boiling water (afterwards, the container must be thoroughly dried).
Using the toilet, laying a hygienic diaper over the water (purchased at the pharmacy).

After you have gone to the toilet, use the spatula from the container to transfer a small amount of feces into it. You do not need to collect a full container or put all the feces that came out during a bowel movement into it. For one study, a volume equal to a teaspoon is enough. If the doctor ordered several tests for you and specified that each needs its own material, several containers will be required, respectively.

Important point! Do not hesitate to check with the doctor who wrote you a referral for a coprogram, all the nuances and features of the procedure, the requirements for the material provided to the laboratory. Depending on the symptoms and problems you present to the hospital with, you may need different stool tests that differ. If we are talking about a general analysis of feces, then the recommendations indicated above are fully suitable for this type of study.

How and where to donate feces?

As a rule, laboratories conducting coprogram analysis work in the morning hours (from 7:00 to 10:00), usually the doctor writes the time of arrival at the clinic on the referral. The leaflet directing you to the analysis must be taken with you. You also need to sign the container so that laboratory assistants do not lose or accidentally confuse your material with another.

Some containers come with a white sticker on which you need to write your last name and year of birth, and then stick it on the container. Other container options have a special rough strip on the plastic, on which a felt-tip pen or alcohol marker writes well.

After you have come to the clinic, you can ask the workers where to give the container with the material. Usually there are special tables in the corridor, on which the direction is placed, and a container with feces is placed on top of it. That is, you do not need to give anything personally into the hands of a laboratory assistant.

Summarizing

Collecting feces for analysis for an adult is a matter of a few minutes. The main thing is not to forget to purchase the necessary container in advance, not to neglect a short-term diet and not to forget about the rules of hygiene before collecting material for analysis. Listen carefully to the doctor's recommendations and be healthy!

Video - General analysis of feces

Fecal analysis is an informative way to diagnose many pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, gallbladder and pancreas. It allows you to identify the cause of the development of such unpleasant symptoms as nausea and vomiting, bloating, diarrhea, poor appetite and abdominal pain.

In order for the results of the study to be accurate, before passing the analysis, you need to properly prepare. How to take a stool test to get reliable results?

Preparation for the delivery of the analysis

The preparation stage is an important point, since the reliability of the results obtained depends on it.

Special sterile jar with a screw cap with a spoon for collecting feces

It includes a few simple rules:

3-4 days before the test, it is recommended to follow a diet that excludes foods that provoke excessive gas formation, diarrhea or constipation - legumes, soda, sweet pastries, some fresh fruits, cabbage.
Before collecting biological material in a container, you should urinate and wash the genital area with running water and soap, after which you should carefully wipe the moisture with a clean towel. These actions will prevent urine and water from entering the stool, which can distort the result. Most people believe that feces are already contaminated, so there is no point in worrying about hygiene, however, this is fundamentally wrong - in addition to microorganisms, various chemicals that are on a person’s clothes and underwear can get into the material. It can be washing powder or the remains of cosmetics applied the day before.
An equally important rule is to collect the material in a clean, dry container. For adults, a vessel is suitable, for children - a pot. In the absence of a vessel, feces can be collected from the toilet if its design allows, but you need to know that the toilet is not clean enough and the results may be distorted.
On the eve of the analysis, you need to take care of the container for collecting the material. In the pharmacy, you can buy special plastic containers with a tightly screwed lid, on the inside of which there is a spoon for collecting feces. In addition to a special container, you can collect the material in a small glass jar with a lid.

Rules for passing the analysis

How much feces do you need to collect, is it possible to collect it the day before and is it necessary to do an enema? These questions are the most common among patients.

The collected material should be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible, the maximum shelf life at room temperature is no more than 6 hours.

A filled container can be stored in the refrigerator door for a maximum of 12 hours. After this time, the microbiological characteristics of the feces change, which affects the reliability of the results. The fresher the feces, the more accurate the results of the study will be. The question of how much material to collect is determined by the purpose of the study, but basically 10 g is required - this is not more than the volume of 1 teaspoon.

Collect feces for research in the morning

Most laboratories take tests early in the morning, so many may experience difficulties at this stage - some adult patients are used to defecate at certain times of the day, and a small child cannot be forced to go to the toilet in the morning at all. In such a situation, you can try to skip one act of defecation the day before - then it will be easier to collect feces in the morning. If attempts to endure ended in failure, then you should collect the latest portion of the material, and in the morning, as early as possible, take it to the laboratory.

The use of laxatives and enemas to collect material is prohibited, since feces must be formed naturally. This is due to the fact that a certain period of time is allocated for the process of digestion of food in the intestine, during which the complete formation of feces occurs. For example, undigested food fragments can often be found in unformed stools, which may lead the specialist to think about insufficient pancreatic function, that is, a person will be misdiagnosed.

After taking a laxative or using an enema, the time spent by feces in the body is significantly reduced, in addition, they are additionally contaminated with chemicals and water, which reduces the accuracy of the results obtained. In the event that a person still needs to periodically give an enema, then this should be done for the last time three days before collecting material for analysis. The last intake of laxatives should be two days before the study.

Women are not recommended to take tests during menstruation, as blood from the vagina can easily get into the container, which can also distort the results. If it is nevertheless necessary to do this, then before collecting biological material, you need to thoroughly wash yourself, and place a tampon in the vagina - it will prevent blood from entering.

Two or three days before the study, it is not recommended to take certain medications that can change the color, texture and composition of stool. These drugs include activated charcoal, rectal suppositories, bismuth-based drugs.

Rules for collecting analysis for various indications

Equally important is the purpose of the study. In the event that a stool test is prescribed to detect occult blood, iron-rich foods should be excluded from the diet a few days before the study. Most of all, this trace element contains meat and offal: rabbit, beef, lamb, liver, chicken hearts and ventricles, tongue.

When examining feces for the purpose of diagnosing helminthiasis, it is recommended to collect a little more feces, in addition, it is recommended to collect from different areas. Diagnosis of giardiasis is carried out only on a fresh portion of stool, so storing a filled container is undesirable. Before handing over the biological material to the laboratory, the container must be signed.