For most people, a stool examination represents an unpleasant method of determining the cause of disease. Yet such a sample often provides reliable findings. It can be used as part of prevention or therapy.
What is stool examination?
Stool examination first requires the patient to provide a stool sample. This is either taken directly in the practice or at home with the appropriate material. Stool is the end product of digestion. It consists of various components. In addition to unusable food residues, intestinal mucosal cells, digestive juices and bacteria are also present. If a disease is present, it can be diagnosed, for example, on the basis of a bacterial population or by finding parasites in the stool. Stool examination first requires the patient to provide a stool sample. This is either taken directly in the practice or with the appropriate material at home. Finally, the basis of the stool examination is the assessment of various factors. These include color and weight as well as possible blood cells and consistency. On the one hand, the feces is examined by external observation, on the other hand, by various methods in the medical laboratory.
Function, effect and goals
Fecal examination is used for early detection and diagnosis. In this way, possible diseases can be detected before the first symptoms appear. For some diseases, early diagnosis plays an important role in the further course and prognosis. In the case of cancer, for example, this can save the patient’s life. If symptoms already exist, the examination of the feces provides an initial indication, verifies or falsifies the already existing suspicion. Most diseases require a correct assessment of the underlying cause for a sustainable therapy. This is provided by a stool examination for numerous health phenomena. First, the external image of the feces is examined. In some cases, traces of blood and pus can already be detected here. Different shades of color indicate different diseases. For example, a whitish stool may indicate a gallbladder obstruction. However, no existing discoloration does not mean that further tests will not reveal any abnormalities. The weight of the stool can only be interpreted if a sample has not been taken, but the patient has been instructed to collect all of his or her stool. Humans usually excrete about 100 to 200 grams of feces daily. The amount is often increased in vegetarians and vegans due to a diet higher in fiber. Larger amounts may indicate, for example, gluten intolerance, fatty stools, or poor nutrient absorption by the body. Some diseases are accompanied by bloody stool. In this case, this sometimes lies hidden in the excretions and is thus called occult, because purely externally there is no evidence of the presence of red blood cells. To reveal occult blood, certain tests must be applied. There is a differentiation between the chemical and immunological test. While the first is performed by the physician, the second is applicable at home. For the chemical occult blood test, patients must submit a stool sample on three days. The feces is applied to the designated fields of the test strip and then submitted to the attending physician. In the laboratory, a specific reagent fluid helps to detect irregularities. This is dripped onto the individual stool samples. If the field turns blue, small amounts of blood are present in the feces. Such a test can detect even a very low level of blood cells and is considered very reliable, provided certain factors are observed. For example, meat consumption should be minimized before and during the test. Women should wait three days after their period before starting the sample. The immunological test is suitable for home use. Again, patients must collect samples on three days. These are dissolved in a liquid and the substance is placed on a test strip. Within five to ten minutes, the test shows the result. However, a chemical test is considered more informative. The Tumor M2 PK test helps detect certain enzymes produced by cancer cells.In this way, a statement can thus be made about a possible tumor. The test can be performed at home and sent to the laboratory. However, insurance does not pay for such a service. A cost of about thirty euros can be expected.
