Stool exam how many hours

However, most of the time, blood streaking in the stool of an infant or toddler is from a slight rectal tear, called a fissure, which is caused by straining against a hard stool this is fairly common in infants and kids with ongoing constipation. Testing for blood in the stool is often performed with a quick test in the office that can provide the results immediately. First, stool is smeared on a card, then a few drops of a developing solution are placed on the card.

An instant color change shows that blood is present in the stool. Sometimes, stool is sent to a laboratory to test for blood, and the result will be reported within hours. Stool can be cultured for disease-causing bacteria. A stool sample is placed in an incubator for at least 48 to 72 hours and any disease-causing bacteria are identified and isolated. Remember that not all bacteria in the stool cause problems; in fact, about half of stool is bacteria, most of which live there normally and are necessary for digestion.

In a stool culture, lab technicians are most concerned with identifying bacteria that cause disease. For a stool culture, the lab will need a fresh or refrigerated sample of stool. The best samples are of loose, fresh stool; well-formed stool is rarely positive for disease-causing bacteria. Sometimes, more than one stool will be collected for a culture. Swabs from a child's rectum also can be tested for viruses.

Although this is not done routinely, it can sometimes give clues about certain illnesses, especially in newborns or very ill children. Viral cultures can take a week or longer to grow, depending on the virus.

Stool may be tested for the presence of parasites and ova the egg stage of a parasite if a child has prolonged diarrhea or other intestinal symptoms. Sometimes, the doctor will collect two or more samples of stool to successfully identify parasites. If parasites — or their eggs — are seen when a smear of stool is examined under the microscope, the child will be treated for a parasitic infestation.

The doctor may give you special collection containers that contain chemical preservatives for parasites. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment.

You should always contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional before starting, changing, or stopping any kind of health treatment. Read More Before taking a stool sample, avoid any medications that might affect the results, such as stool softeners, antacids, or mineral oil.

Since toilet water, urine, paper, and soap can ruin your sample, talk to your doctor about how to collect your stool. Otherwise, lift up your toilet seat and place plastic wrap across the toilet bowl. Once the bowl is covered, close the seat on the plastic wrap to secure it.

Push down on the plastic wrap slightly to create a small dip to collect your sample. When you have a sample, open the container from your doctor and use the scoop to take a sample from both ends and the middle of the stool. Put your name and date on the container before returning it to the doctor.

For more tips from our Medical co-author, including how to refrigerate a stool sample, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers.

Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Things You'll Need. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Avoid medicine that will affect the sample.

Avoid taking certain medicines before collecting it. This includes anything that might soften your stools, such as Pepto Bismol, Maalox, mineral oil, antacids and Kaopectate. Also, if you have had a Barium Swallow, a metallic compound used to see abnormalities in the esophagus and stomach during an x-ray, you should postpone taking the stool sample. Consult with your doctor. He or she will provide you with the necessary equipment for collecting your stool sample, including a container for storing the sample.

Keep in mind that toilet water, urine, paper, and soap can all ruin the stool sample, so make sure that you have a way to protect your stool from becoming contaminated by these things. Set up a way to catch your stool sample ahead of time. This information will provide them with a better understanding of any test results. Personal interview. Prepare your toilet with a hat. The hat is a plastic device that looks like its namesake and is used to catch the feces so that it does not come into contact with toilet water.

Ask your doctor if one is available, because it will make the process easier. The hat will fit neatly over a portion of the toilet seat. To put the hat in place, lift up the toilet seat, place the hat over the bowl, and then close the toilet seat again.

Position yourself on top of the portion of the bowl covered by the hat. Cover your toilet bowl with plastic wrap. If your doctor does not provide you with a hat, then you can also cover the toilet bowl with plastic wrap. To use plastic wrap, lift up the toilet seat and then place the plastic wrap across the toilet bowl. Close the toilet seat on the plastic wrap to help secure it. You can also tape the plastic wrap to the side of the bowl for additional security. Before you defecate, push down on the plastic to create a small dip in the plastic where the sample will collect.

Your GP or another healthcare professional, such as a nurse, should explain how to collect the stool sample. It should be collected in a clean, dry screw-top container. Your doctor or a member of staff at the hospital will give you a plastic specimen container to use, although you can use any clean container as long as you can seal it.

Try not to collect urine or water from the toilet with the stool sample, but don't worry if you do. If you need to urinate, do this first before collecting the stool sample. Stool samples should be handed in as soon as possible, as some can't be analysed if they've been refrigerated — your doctor will tell you if this is the case.

If you can't hand the stool sample in immediately, you should store it in a fridge, but for no longer than 24 hours. Place the container in a sealed plastic bag first. Stool samples must be fresh — if they aren't, the bacteria in them can multiply. This means the levels of bacteria in the stool sample won't be the same as the levels of bacteria in your digestive system.

If the levels of bacteria don't match, the test results may not be accurate. If you can't hand your stool sample in immediately, find out how long it can be kept in the fridge.

Your GP or the healthcare professional who requested the test will be able to tell you.