Stool test: Physical and Chemical Examination of stool

Stool Examination

Accurate report can be obtained by collecting stool in clean container and checking it within half an hour. The sooner the stool is collected, the better.

Routine Examination of Stool (Stool R / E)

There are two types of tests performed by Stool.
1. Physical Examination
2. Chemical Examination:

1. Physical Examination: 

A short list is given bellow which you see in Physical Examination of Stool

A. Quantity:

You have to write in the report to see how much stool is sent for the test. If a small amount of stool is sent, then insufficient should be written in the report. And if enough stool is available then Sufficient should be written. A coin laboratory estimates how many grams of stool are available.

For example, if 5 gm is available, quantity: About 5 gm.

B. Color: 

The color of the stool of a healthy person is usually brown or yellow. Stool can be color-greenish, blackish, whitish, reddish due to various diseases.

C. Consistency:

Stool-semisolid is usually found in healthy people. However, for various reasons or diseases, stool can be solid, soft, liquid, watery.

D. odor: 

The odor of stoo in normal way is called fecal odor. Sometimes there is a very bad smell in the stool. Odor-foul or offensive or very foul very offensive is written in case of foul smelling stool.

E. Mucus: 

The amount of mucus in a normal stool is very small and not usually seen. In various diseases, especially amoebic bacillary dysentery (more mucus is found with stool.

F. Blood: 

Usually there is no blood with stool. If there is fresh blood, it cannot be seen with the naked eye. RBC is found in microscopic examination. If there is no fresh blood, OBT test can be done to find out if there is blood. Fresh blood is usually found due to bowel cancer or hemorrhoids or diarrhea.

G. Worm: 

Physical examination of the stool should be done to see if there are any worms in the stool. If so, you have to write in the report.

2. Chemical Examination:

Stool's reaction may be slightly alkaline and may be acidic.

• If the blue litmus paper turns pink on contact with the stool, then the reaction of the stool is acidic.
• And if red litmus turns blue, then reaction is alkaline.