What is the stool or feces?

5. Epithelial cells that have been shade

1. Waste residue of indigestible material (cellulose during the
previous 4 days)
2. Bile pigments and salts
3. Intestinal secretions, including mucus
4. Leukocytes that migrate from the bloodstream
6. Bacteria and Inorganic material(10-20%) chiefly calcium and
phosphates. Undigested and unabsorbed food.
1. Universal precaution
2. Collect stool in a dry,clean container
3. uncontaminated with urine or other body
secretions, such as menstrual blood
4. Collect the stool with a clean tongue
blade or similar object.
5. Deliver immediately after collection
Ova and parasites collection
1. Warm stools are best for detecting ova or parasites.
Do not refrigerate specimen for ova or parasites.
2. If the stool should be collect in 10 % formalin or PVA
fixative, storage temperature is not critical.
3. Because of the cyclic life cycle of parasites, three
separate random stool specimens are
recommended.
1. Some coliform bacilli produce antibiotic substances that
destroy enteric pathogen.Refrigerate specimen immediately.
2. A diarrheal stool will usually give accurate results.
3. A freshly passed stool is the specimen of choice.
4. Stool specimen should be collected before antibiotic therapy, or
as early in the course of the disease.
5. If blood or mucous is present, it should be included in the
specimen
1. Patients receiving tetracyclines, anti-diarrheal drugs,
barium, bismuth, oil, iron , or magnesium may not yield
accurate results.
2. Bismuth found in toilet tissue interferes with the
results.
3. Do not collect stool from the toilet bowl.A clean, dry
bedpan is the best.
4. Lifestyle, personal habbits, environments may interfere
with proper sample procurement.
Normal values in stool Analysis
Macroscopic examination Normal value
Amount 100-200 g / day
Colour Brown
Odour Varies with pH of stool
and depend on bact-
erial fermentation
Consistency Plastic, not unusual to
see fiber, vegetable skins.
Size and shape Formed
Gross blood,Mucous,Pus, Parasites None
Normal values in stool analysis
Microscopic examination Normal values
Fat (Colorless, neutral fat (18%)and fatty acid crystals and soaps)
Undigested food None to small amount
Meat fibers, Starch, Trypsin None
Eggs and segments of parasites None
Yeasts None
Leukocytes None
Normal values in stool analysis
Chemical examination Normal values
Water Up to 75 %
pH 6.5-7.5
Occult blood Negative
Urobilinogen 50-300 g/24hr
Porphyrins Coporphyrins:400-1200g/24hr
Uroporphyrins:10-40 mg/24hr
Nitrogen <2.5 g/24hr
Normal values in stool analysis
Chemical examination Normal values
Bile Negative in adults:positive in children
Trypsin 20-950 units/g( positive in small
amounts in adults; present in greater
amounts in normal children.
Osmolarity used 200-250 mOsm with serum
osmol- arity to calculate osmotic gap
Sodium 5.8-9.8 mEq / 24hr

Normal values in stool analysis
Chemical examination Normal
values
Chloride 2.5-3.9 mEq / 24 hr
Potassium 15.7-20.7 mEq /24 hr
Lipids ( fatty acid) 0-6 g / 24 hr
1. Fecal consistency may be altered in various
disease states

a. Diarrhea mixed with mucous and red blood
cells is associated with
1. Typhus
2. Typhoid
3. Cholera
4. Amebiasis
5. Large bowel cancer
b. Diarrhea mixed with mucus and white
blood cells is associated with
1. Ulcerative colitis
2. Regional enteritis
3. Shigellosis
4. Salmonellosi
5. Intestinal tuberculosis

C. Pasty stool is associated with a high fat
content in the stool:
1. A significant increase of fat is usually detected
on gross examination
2. With common bile duct obstruction, the fat gives
the stool a putty- like appearance.
3. In cystic fibrosis, the increase of neutral fat
gives a greasy, butter stool appearance.
Normal value Varies with pH of stool and diet. Indole and
sketole are the substances that produce normal
odor formed by intestinal bacteria putrefaction
and fermentation.
Clinical implication.
1. A foul odor is caused by degradation of undigested protein.
2. A foul odor is produced by excessive carbohydrate
ingestion.
3. A sickly sweet odor is produced by volatile fatty acids and
undigested lactose
Stool pH
Normal value : Neutral to acid or alkaline
Clinical implication
1. Increased pH ( alkaline)
a. protein break down
b. Villous adenoma
c.Colitis
d.Antibiotic use
2. Decreased pH ( acid)
a. Carbohydrate malabsorption
b. Fat malabsorption
c. Disaccharidase deficiency
Normal value : Brown
Clinical implication:
1. Yellow to yellow-green : severe diarrhea
2. Green : severe diarrhea
Black: resulting from bleeding into the upper
gastrointestinal tract (>100 ml blood)
3. Tan or Clay colored : blockage of the common bile duct.
4. Pale greasy acholic (no bile secretion) stool found in
pancreatic insufficiency.
Stool color(con)
4. Maroon-to-red-to-pink : possible result of
bleeding from the lower gastrointestinal tract (eg.
Tumors, hemorrhoids, fissures,inflammatory
process)
5. Blood streak on the outer surface of usually
indicates hemorrhoids or anal abnormalities.
6. Blood in stool can arise from abnormalities
higher in the colon. In some case the transit time
is rapid blood from stomach or duodenum can
appear as bright or dark red or maroon in stool.
Normal value : Negative
Clinical Implication :
1. Dark red to tarry black indicates a loss of 0.50 to 0.75 ml of blood from
the upper GI tract.
2. Positive for occult blood may be caused by
a. Carcinoma of colon
b. Ulcerative colitis
c. Adenoma
d. Diaphramatic hernia
e. Gastric carcinoma
f. Diverticulitis
g. Ulcers
Normal value : Negative for mucous
Clinical Implication:
1. Translucent gelatinous mucous clinging to the
surface of formed stool occurs in
a. Spastic constipation b. Mucous colitis
c. Emotionally disturbed patients
d. Excessive straining at stool
2. Bloody mucous clinging to the surface suggests
a. Neoplasm
b. Inflammation of the rectal canal
3. Mucous with pus and blood is associated
with
a. Ulcerative colitis
b. Bacilliary dysentery
c. Ulcerating cancer of colon
d. Acute diverticulitis
e. Intestinal tuberculosis
Normal value : fat in stool will account for up to 20 % of total solids.
Lipids are measured as fatty acids (0-6.0 g/24hr)
Clinical Implication :
1. Increased fat or fatty acids is associated with the malabsorption
syndromes
a. Nontropical sprue
b. Crohns disease
c. Whipples disease
d. Cystic fibrosis
e. Enteritis and pancreatic diseases
f. Surgical removal of a section of the intestine

Normal value : 125-400 Ehrlich units / 24 hr
75-350 Ehrlich units/100 g
Clinical Implication:
1. Increased values are associated with Hemolytic anemias
2. Decreased values are associated with
a. Complete biliary obstruction
b. Severe liver disease, infectious hepatitis
c. Oral antibiotic therapy that alters intestinal bacteria
flora
d. Infants are negative up to 6 months of age
Normal value : Adults negative
: Children may be positive
Clinical Implication:
1. Bile may be present in diarrheal stools.
2. Increased bile levels occur in Hemolytic
anemia

Normal value : Positive in small amounts in 95
% of normal persons.
Clinical Implication : Decreased amounts occur in
a. Pancreatic deficiency
b. Malabsorption syndromes
c. Screen for cystic fibrosis

Normal value : Negative Clinical Implication
1. Large amounts of leukocytes
a. Chronic ulcerative colitis
b. Chronic bacilliary dysentery
c. Localized abscess
d. Fistulas of sigmoid rectum or anus

2. Mononuclear leukocytes appear in Typhoid


Leukocytes in Stool (con)
3. Polymorphonuclear leukocytes appear in
a. Shigellosis b. Salmonellosis
c. Yersinia d. Invasive Escherichia coli diarrhea
e. Ulcerative colitis
4. Absence of leukocytes is associated with
a. Cholera b. Non specific diarrhea
c. Viral diarrhea d. Amebic colitis
e. Noninvasive E.coli diarrhea
f. Toxigenic bacteria Staphylococci spp., Clostidium Cholera
g. Parasites-Giardia,
Porphyrins in Stool
Normal value : Coproporphyrin 400-1200 g / 24hr
Urophorphyrin 10-40 g / 24 hr.
These values vary from Lab to Lab.
Clinical Implication:
1. Increased fecal coproporphyrin is associated with
a. Coproporphyria (hereditary) b. Porphyria variegata
c. Protoporphyria d. Hemolytic anemia
2. Increased fecal protoporphyrin is associated with
a. Porphyria veriegata b. Protoporphyria
c. Acquired liver disease
Stool Electrolytes
Normal values : Sodium 5.8-9.8 mEq / 24 hr
Chloride 2.5-3.9 mEq / 24 hr
Potassium 15.7-20.7 mEq /24 hr
Clinical Implication :
1. Idiopathic proctocolitis Sodium and Chloride Normal Potassium
2. Cholera Sodium and Chloride