PATHOLOGY
Practical
Stool Routine Examination
Dr. Rabia Saeed
Dr Kanwal Naeem
DEFINITION
STOOL
Is the residue of indigestible materials passed through digestive tract and expelled
through the anus during defecation.
COMPOSITION
It is mainly composed of water, undigested and unabsorbed food, intestinal
secretions, mucous, bile pigments and salts, bacteria and inorganic material,
epithelial cells and leukocytes.
INDICATIONS FOR STOOL EXAMINATION
Stool analysis is a series of test done on feces sample to help diagnose diseases affecting
the digestive tract.
These condition include
o Infections( such as from parasites, viruses, bacteria).
o Poor nutrient absorption or cancer.
o Also help to find cause of prolonged diarrhea, bloody diarrhea.
o Loss of appetite, abdominal pain, cramping, fever, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
STEPS FOR PERFORMING STOOL ROUTINE EXAMINATION
A sterilized, leak proof & wide mouthed container for collection of
samples.
Specimen should be brought to the lab as soon as it is passed to avoid
deterioration of protozoa and alterations of the morphology of protozoa
and helminthes.
Container should be clearly labeled with the patient’s name, date and time
of passage of the specimen.
Diarrhea specimen containing blood and mucus should be examined promptly
on the arrival in the lab.
Unpreserved stool should be refrigerated if possible, and processed within a 2
hours after collection.
Specimens that could not be cultured within 2 hours of collection should be
placed in transport medium and refrigerated immediately.
TRANSPORT MEDIA FOR STOOL
SPECIMEN
1. Cary-Blair Medium:
• High pH (8.4)
• Medium of choice for transport and preservation of V.cholera.
• Used to transport many bacterial enteric pathogens, including Shigella,
salmonella.
2. Amie and Staurt transport media:
• Acceptable for shigella and salmonella (including serotype Typhi).
3. Alkaline peptone water:
Used to transport V cholera
Only be used if Clary-Blair is not available.
Should not be used if subculture is delayed more then 6 hours.
4. Buffered Glycerol saline (BGS):
Liquid medium used for shigella.
Not suitable for transport of V cholera.
REJECTION OF FECAL SPECIMENS
1. The information in the label does not match the information in the requisition
2. The specimen has not been transported in the proper medium
3. The quantity of specimen is insufficient for testing.
OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMING STOOL ROUTINE EXAMINATION
Interpretation from gross examination
Microscopic examination
Chemical examination of stool samples
STOOL EXAMINATION FOR PARASITES
Saline
Used for routine examination of stool samples.
Used to detect worms, eggs, larvae, protozoan, trophozoite and cysts.
Reveal the presence of RBCs and WBCs, as it is isotonic.
Iodine
Used to examine the nuclei of cysts and to stain the glycogen.
Eosin 1%
Provides a pink background that help to clear the unstained objects.
PARASITE
An organism, which takes its nourishment and other needs from a host”.
1. Parasitic Protozoa
unicellular eukaryotes.
four traditional groups based on means of locomotion and mode of reproduction:
flagellates, amebae, sporozoa, and ciliates.
2. Parasitic Helminthes
Nematoda (roundworms)
Platyhelminthes (flatworms).
IMPORTANT CHARACTERITICS OF PARASITES
IMPORTANT CHARACTERITICS OF PARASITES
IMPORTANT CHARACTERITICS OF PARASITES
IMPORTANT CHARACTERITICS OF PARASITES
THANK YOU
