Is it possible to drink before the delivery of feces. Feces for occult blood: preparation, diet, interpretation of the results. How to store collected material

To determine the violations of the functioning of the digestive system, the presence of helminthic invasions and bacteria in it, as well as to evaluate its work as a whole, a special study of the coprogram is carried out - an analysis of feces. The accuracy of the results largely depends on the correctness of the collection of biological material and the observance of its safety. How much feces can be stored for analysis and how to collect it correctly, we will consider in more detail.

Rules for collecting feces

The coprogram is an accurate method for identifying the pathogenic environment within the body. Incorrectly collected material can significantly distort the results of the analysis. To prevent this, it is important to follow certain rules before taking the sample.

1. Use of sterile containers. Special fecal containers can be bought at a pharmacy or prepared independently (treat a plastic or glass jar with boiling water, dry).
2. Hygiene. Before passing faeces, the genitals should be washed well with soap and water (can be treated with furatsilin). The preliminary container for collecting feces - a vessel, a pot - must be clean and dry.
3. Collect a small amount of feces(2-3 cc of substance) with a special spoon, place in a prepared container or jar, then close tightly.

Use special jars for storing feces

During the collection of organic material, nothing superfluous, including urine, should get into it. Therefore, it is important to empty the bladder before the procedure.

An important recommendation of doctors is to follow a therapeutic diet 7 days before the test. Fried, spicy, fatty and salty foods should be excluded from the diet. Focus on vegetables (raw and boiled), consume more dairy products. Such nutrition contributes to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract and provokes regular stools, which will make it possible to collect the right amount of bowel movements.

When is feces not suitable for collection?

It is not always possible to collect feces for research. There are situations when it is better to wait with such a procedure, otherwise the results of the analysis will be distorted.

You can not donate feces immediately after an enema or x-ray contrast examination of the digestive tract. It is recommended to wait at least 48 hours. If a person takes sorbents, uses rectal suppositories or laxatives, stool collection is possible no earlier than a few days (2-3 days) after such manipulations.

The period of menstruation in women, hemorrhoidal bleeding, severe injuries during defecation are also considered unfavorable circumstances for the collection of feces. It is recommended to reschedule the procedure until the condition improves.

Do not collect feces during the menstrual period

How and where to store material

It is better to collect feces early in the morning, following all the rules of such a procedure. After a bowel movement, the material must be delivered to the laboratory within a few hours. If there is no courier delivery, the substance must be taken to the clinic yourself. If it is not possible to send feces to the coprogram in the near future, they can be stored for some time - the shelf life of fresh feces is no more than 8 hours - but it is important to adhere to the basic rules:

• storage of material is possible only in the refrigerator (the best place is the middle shelf with the desired temperature from +4 to +8 degrees);
• it is forbidden to place the container on the side shelves or leave it in the freezer, as this can destroy the natural properties of the intestinal contents;
• the lid on the container with feces must be tightly closed to isolate the material from external factors;
• it is strictly forbidden to keep the collected samples at room temperature for more than 15 minutes.

To store feces, it is better to use the middle shelf in the refrigerator.

Failure to comply with the rules for storing feces for analysis significantly reduces the chances of obtaining the correct test result.

Children's feces are not as easy to collect as adults. It is not always possible to guess the exact time of a bowel movement, especially for babies. Therefore, if the baby poops in the afternoon or in the evening, his feces will be suitable for study until the next morning. The main thing is that all storage requirements are met, and the analysis of the child is brought to the clinic without delay.

How long can a stool sample be stored

Often patients have a question: how long is the collected feces stored? It all depends on what exactly the experts are trying to determine.

Feces that were collected in the evening and stored in the refrigerator until morning (if more than 8 hours have passed since the bowel movement) are rarely suitable. This is explained by the fact that long-term storage adversely affects the state of feces: some microorganisms die, others begin to develop, the chemical composition of the contents, its structure and properties change. All this leads to incorrect results and erroneous diagnoses.

The collection and storage of intestinal contents play an important role in the coprogram. The result of the study depends on compliance with the relevant rules. If stool samples are stored at room temperature, for a long time or frozen, the pathogenic flora will change in them, which will lead to a distortion of the final analysis values. Without a retake of bakposev, there is a risk of prescribing the wrong treatment, which can cause great harm to health. Therefore, it is important to comply with all the requirements indicated by experts.

Many people wonder what is a fecal analysis, and why is it needed, and is it possible to detect serious diseases through such a diagnosis? The analysis is carried out in order to study the state of the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract and the digestive system as a whole.

Why is fecal mass diagnostics needed?

In the normal state, feces have an amorphous consistency, and consist mainly of the remains of foods consumed by humans. In a healthy person, only food residues are visible in the feces, since the stomach does not always fully digest all the food. The presence of inclusions such as blood, mucus, or a change in the color and consistency of feces is a good reason to seek help from specialists. Usually, to identify the true cause of diseases, doctors offer to take feces for analysis. In medicine, such an analysis is called a coprogram. This research method requires special training, and also allows you to identify the exact cause of the following stable conditions:

• Nausea, open vomiting
• Blood in feces
• Flatulence
• Belching accompanied by an unpleasant odor and aftertaste
• Painful symptoms in the stomach
• Dysbacteriosis

The coprogram as a research method carefully examines the components of the fecal mass, gives an objective assessment of the patient's health status. Thanks to the results of the coprogram, the specialist will be able not only to find out about the cause of the disease and make an accurate diagnosis, but also to prescribe an adequate method of treatment.

Preparation for the test is as important as the diagnosis itself. Therefore, the following recommendations have been developed:

1. Feces must be collected in the morning. Immediately before collection, it is imperative to carry out hygiene procedures for the genitals and anus using soap. Secretions, blood, drops of urine from the genitourinary organs should not get into the biomaterial, and fragments of feces from the toilet bowl should not be collected - this can qualitatively affect the results.
2. If feces are taken for occult blood testing, then a few days before it is collected, special preparation of the body is required, namely, to refuse to use foods containing large quantities. A day before the delivery, refuse medicines so as not to provoke a chemical coloring of the feces.
3. If the sample is intended to detect microbes and infections that provoke dysbacteriosis, then it would be advisable to follow a strict diet for several days. Only in this way will the coprogram be able to determine what is the main cause of dysbacteriosis - infection or malnutrition.

Basic principles of stool collection

In order to obtain accurate results, feces must be collected with the following preparation knowledge in mind:

• The sample must be obtained naturally and no laxatives or enemas should be used.
• Preparation for the collection of feces should begin with a sterile stick and utensils. The collection is recommended to be stored only in a sterile container.
• For the test, only a fresh sample of feces is needed. The optimal time from collection to the moment of sending to the laboratory should be no more than 3-4 hours, since after 4 hours the microbiological composition of the feces changes. Store in a cool place.
• Do not collect feces from the toilet. Living microorganisms on the walls of the toilet will enter the composition of the feces, which will affect the results of the coprogram. It is better to empty yourself in a clean bag, a pot. You can also put cling film on the toilet bowl.
• To identify worms and their eggs, you need to take several samples, that is, collect feces from 2-3 stools.
• During menstruation, refuse to take tests. If it is necessary for health reasons, then you need to use a swab so that blood does not get into the sample.

Many people wonder how much stool should be collected for one sample? Experts say that 10-15 grams of stool is enough.

Dishes for collecting feces

Before proceeding with the delivery of biomaterial for laboratory examination, certain preparation is also necessary. Today, you can buy sterile containers for the delivery of feces at any pharmacy. A special container is characterized as a sterile dish, it can be glass and plastic. The container is sold complete with a lid and a spatula. If it is not possible to purchase a container at a pharmacy, then you can store the collection in a small bottle with a cap, which must first be thoroughly rinsed and dried.

Prior to the delivery of the biomaterial to the laboratory, it is recommended to store it in a tightly closed container, at a temperature not higher than +5 degrees. If the room is hot, then the biomaterial must be stored in a cool place, since there is a possibility that active processes of fermentation and reproduction of putrefactive bacteria will begin in the biomaterial.

If the feces are handed over to determine dysbacteriosis, then the collection can take place at any time of the day, respectively, the question arises of how long the biomaterial can be stored in the refrigerator. The answer to this question is simple - no more than a day.

By following these simple rules for collecting biomaterial, you can take a high-quality sample to the laboratory, which will reveal the cause of the disease.

Many patients ask how many days does it take to diagnose a biomaterial? Experts say that no more than a day.

The main indicators of fecal masses

The main features by which the study is built and deviations from the norm are determined:

• Consistency
• Smell
• Presence of protein
• WBC level

Let's consider each of these signs separately.

• Color. The reddish hue of feces indicates ulcerative or oncological diseases. Moreover, blood may be present in the feces. Yellow color - indicates a violation of the digestive process, the presence of infection and dysbacteriosis. Black color is a sign of bleeding or the presence of blood clots in the stomach cavity. Light yellow is a sign of hepatitis and pancreatitis. White color indicates blockage of the bile duct.
• Consistency. Loose stools are associated with the presence of inflammatory processes, dysbacteriosis and hypersecretion of the mucous membrane in the small intestine. Ointment-like feces indicates cholecystitis and pancreatitis. Dense feces indicates the presence of stenosis or inflammation of the colon. The colon begins to store processed food material, resulting in constipation and dense masses of feces.
• Smell. Weak odor is associated with disorders such as accelerated evacuation or indigestion. In the presence of an ulcer, the smell of feces is characterized by a putrid odor. A sour smell will give out about violations of the pancreas and that there is blood in the feces.

The presence of protein and the level of leukocytes in feces

Another factor that serves to determine intestinal dysfunctions is the presence of protein and the level of leukocytes. In a healthy person, proteins and leukocytes are absent in the feces. The presence of such inclusions may indicate quite serious diseases, here is a small list of them, the most famous:

• Fissures in the rectum
• chronic hemorrhoids,
• Oncological diseases
• Gastritis
• polyps
• cirrhosis
• Dysbacteriosis

With regards to the high level of leukocytes, this indicates the course of the inflammatory process in the digestive system. To identify the localization of the inflammatory process, correct bacteriological diagnosis is necessary. If you apply both methods to the study of the gastrointestinal tract, then the output can be obtained results that will reveal a number of diseases such as:

1. The state of infectious dysbacteriosis
2. Intestinal disorders, both small and duodenal
3. Presence of colitis
4. Inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract
5. Violation in the functioning of the liver
6. Unstable work of the pancreas
7. The rapid passage of products and their removal from the stomach and intestines, skipping the process of digestion.

The effectiveness of the coprological method of studying the analysis of feces has been clinically and scientifically proven, based on examinations and a survey of a large number of patients who have undergone such a study, they note that they have completely recovered from both simple and complex chronic diseases of the esophagus.

There are several types of studies of this biological material. The most commonly used coprogram.

It's important to know

To obtain an accurate result of the study, it is necessary to correctly collect the material and know how to store feces for analysis. The requirements depend on which diagnostic method is used.

To get the most correct research data, it is better to donate feces immediately after a bowel movement. All this is recommended to be done in the morning.

However, it often happens that emptying occurs in the evening or at night, and feces must be stored until morning. The ideal location for this biological material until the next day is a refrigerator.

Material for biochemical research can be stored in the freezer.

How to assemble

• In most studies, it is not recommended to do enemas before collecting feces. After carrying out such a procedure, the mass for analysis can be taken only after two days.
• In addition, it is important to do without the use of sorbents and drugs that have a laxative effect.
• One day before the collection of material, rectal suppositories should not be used.

In some cases, seven days before the manipulation, it is important to follow a simple diet that excludes the use of fatty, fried and salty foods, as well as spicy foods and spices.

It is also undesirable to introduce a new product for complementary foods if the feces need to be collected from the baby.

For the result to be reliable, it is important to adhere to the following rules:

• Collect stool samples only after emptying the bladder. If urine enters the stool during collection, the result may be unreliable.
• Before delivery, it is necessary to perform hygienic treatment of intimate areas using warm water and soap.
• Defecation is carried out over a dry and clean container, after which the required amount of feces is taken and placed in a sterile container.
• Baby feces can be taken directly from diapers.
• During menstruation, the collection of material is postponed until it ends.

If the patient is unable to empty himself on his own, then this should be discussed with a specialist. He will advise how best to get around such a problem.

Basic rules for storage to the laboratory

• The container in which the biological material will be stored can be bought at any pharmaceutical institution. It is allowed to open the container immediately before the procedure. The kit includes a special spoon, with which you can collect the right amount of feces. Then everything is tightly closed with a lid. The container is dry and sterile, so the necessary conditions for storing feces are observed.
• Instead of a special container, you can use an ordinary glass jar with a lid. Before placing feces in it, the jar should be thoroughly washed with soda solution, rinsed, poured over with boiling water and dried well.
• It is not recommended to use plastic dishes, as well as those containers that have already been used for feces.
• It is important to keep the material no longer than the specified time. Long-term storage will lead to the fact that the result will be unreliable, since the feces will no longer be suitable for research.
• It must also be remembered that such material is stored at a certain temperature in a refrigerator or similar place. If you keep it at room conditions, the result of the analysis will be incorrect. This temperature is considered optimal: not lower than four and not more than eight degrees of heat.

How to keep the feces collected in the evening until the morning

If the feces were collected in the evening or at night on the eve of the analysis, the container with the material is placed in the refrigerator.

No more than eight hours should pass from the moment the material was collected to the time it was submitted for diagnosis.

After this time, the material will no longer be suitable. Therefore, it is important to take into account the travel time to the clinic in these eight hours. If it takes about 60 minutes, then you can store the mass in the refrigerator for no longer than seven hours.

The laboratory indicates whose feces are being donated, what the person's stool was like (without features, liquid, solid, laxative). It is also important to indicate the age so that the specialist understands whether the material for analysis was taken from an adult or a child.

How to bring morning feces to the laboratory

If the stool is morning, it must be taken to the laboratory as soon as possible. The ideal way is to bring the container with the material in a refrigerated bag, thermal bag or container.

If this is not possible, then the container must be wrapped in several layers of paper, and then wrapped using a towel or any dense fabric. In this case, there is at least two to three hours before the test is taken..

You can also deliver the material to the laboratory using couriers who work in some laboratories.

Features of storage in the refrigerator

Many are interested in how much feces can be stored at minimum temperatures. Experts recommend keeping it in the refrigerator for no more than eight, and preferably six hours.

For different types of research, their own terms are allowed:

• For helminths and their eggs - from 5 to 8 hours.
• For blood (hidden) - from 5 to 6 hours.
• For a coprogram - from 6 to 8 hours.
• For enterobiasis - from 5 to 8 hours.

Long-term storage of feces for research is not allowed.

Store feces in a hermetically sealed container, placing it on the middle shelf.

Is it possible in the freezer?

Most experts advise against storing feces in the freezer. This is explained by the fact that when freezing, all the biological properties of feces are lost, so it becomes unsuitable for research.

However, in some sources you can find information that for some diagnostic methods, freezing of feces is allowed. Like it or not, it is better to ask the laboratory assistant.

Preservation of feces for different types of diagnostics

The shelf life also depends on what kind of research needs to be done:

A more accurate interpretation of any type of analysis can be obtained if the feces are sent for research as soon as possible.

The difference in the storage of feces of an adult and a child

Children are usually unpredictable, and it is very difficult to determine the exact time when they will have a bowel movement. Therefore, if parents were lucky enough to receive biological material in the morning, then it should be immediately taken to the laboratory.

The allowable interval between the collection and delivery of feces to the clinic is from one to three hours.

Feces of the child, collected on the evening before delivery to the laboratory, can be stored in the refrigerator (at 4-6 degrees Celsius) for no more than eight hours. If the time interval from collection to delivery exceeds 480 minutes, the material will be unsuitable for research.

An adult can store his feces for analysis for up to three hours. If the material is in the refrigerator, then it can be taken for another two days (but not later!).

However, it is important to understand that results may not be accurate if stored for a long time. Therefore, it is best to hand over such material to the laboratory within six hours after collection. After this time, its biological properties begin to change..

Fecal analysis is reliable only if the material was collected correctly and all storage conditions were met. In addition, it is important to remember that there are some peculiarities depending on the type of analysis. Therefore, it is important to familiarize yourself with the recommendations of specialists regarding the collection and storage of material.

To make accurate diagnoses, doctors often prescribe blood, urine, and stool tests. If almost every person had to deal with the first two types, then not everyone is familiar with the procedure for passing the last analysis. Having learned how to collect an analysis of feces for an adult, everyone will be able to cope with this task.

7 In what cases is a fecal analysis prescribed?

The results of the coprogram are an important source of information about what processes take place in the human body. They help to identify serious pathologies in the early stages and prevent the development of complications.

Basically, stool analysis is prescribed to detect diseases or abnormalities in the functioning of the digestive tract. If the patient has problems with the pancreas, liver, stomach or intestines, the doctor will need the results of a stool test to make an accurate diagnosis.

Following simple recommendations on how to properly collect feces will greatly facilitate the patient's task, and he will be able to take tests without problems the first time. Pregnant women are advised to consult their doctor about how to achieve natural bowel movements. Since many future mothers in the last months of pregnancy experience difficulties with bowel movements, they need to prepare more carefully for the study.

Important: in order to prevent infection of all family members, it is necessary to donate biomaterial in the form of feces for analysis to those who have small children, pets in the house, as well as to those who often like to swim in natural reservoirs, garden, eat Japanese cuisine in the form of raw fish, etc. It is worth knowing that the consequences of damage to the body by helminthic invasion can be the most severe, up to damage to the central nervous system and death with a negligent attitude towards one's health.

Preparation for the delivery of the analysis

If the reader is interested in how to donate feces and how much feces is needed to conduct an accurate analysis, then first of all it is necessary to understand that in order to obtain reliable results, you must first prepare for the sampling of biomaterial. In general, the collection rules here are very simple:

Important: if it is impossible to cancel the drugs, then it is worth notifying the attending physician or laboratory assistant about this when taking the test. By the way, it is undesirable for women during menstruation to take biomaterial for analysis in order to avoid menstrual blood from entering the biomass.

Rules for passing a stool test

Those who are interested in how much feces need to be collected for analysis and what are the rules for collecting biomaterial will be interested in the information below. So, the correct collection of feces will be considered subject to the following rules:

• Before you understand how much feces are needed for analysis, you need to purchase a special sterile container for biomass sampling. It can be bought at a pharmacy. Conveniently, such a container for stool analysis has a special spatula for collecting feces and an adhesive sticker on which patient data can be applied. It is not recommended to use glass jars and matchboxes for collecting feces.
• Biomass is collected after an arbitrary defecation in the morning or evening. In this case, it is forbidden to use laxatives to provoke a stool. It is also forbidden to collect biomaterial after enema or the use of rectal suppositories. In this case, the result may be distorted.
• It is better to empty into a clean and dry container without impurities in it of detergents, disinfectants and cleaning agents.
• Before bowel movements, it is advisable to urinate so as not to mix feces with urine. It is also undesirable to get secretions from the genital organs into the biomass.
• It is undesirable to wash before emptying, especially if the feces are collected in the morning.
• If the feces are collected from the evening before, then you can store the analysis in a sterile container in the refrigerator for no more than 8 hours. However, the ideal option is considered to be the delivery of biomaterial immediately after defecation (1-2 hours).

Important: if the biomaterial is submitted for detection of amoebae or giardia in the body, then it must be collected immediately after defecation and delivered to the laboratory while still warm within the first hour. At the same time, freezing or, conversely, heating the mass is prohibited.

• In response to the question of how much feces are needed for analysis in an adult or a child, it is worth knowing that it is enough to collect 2/3 of a sterile container. If a simple glass jar is used, then 1-2 teaspoons of feces can be collected.
• It is necessary to collect biomass from three different sides of the formed sausage. From the front (what came out first), from the back (in the last feces) and from the sides of the mass. This will allow you to get the most reliable result.
• The name of the patient is written on a special sticker and the date and time of sampling of the biomaterial are indicated. The sticker is stuck on the container and the mass is sent for analysis.

Important: if the reader is interested in how much fecal analysis is done, then it is worth knowing here that the result is usually ready on the same day by evening or the next day. The maximum period for deriving results during the analysis is 3-4 days, taking into account weekends in the clinic / laboratory.

What is a coprogram?

Important: it is necessary to properly pass feces for a coprogram only in a warm form.

Research results

• Roundworm;
• Pinworms;
• Liver or cat fluke;
• Vlasoglav;
• Wide ribbon;
• Pork or bovine tapeworm;
• Schistosoma;
• Amoeba or Giardia (protozoa).