STOOL Examination

• ROUTINE STOOL EXAMINATION

  • Physical analysis

  • Chemical analysis

  • Microscopic analysis
• Brown - normal color of the stool
• Gross appearance of hard and dark brown color - Conspicuously fibrous
• Consistency of black and fiber scanty to moderate - Soft
• possible color of mushy and in colloidal appearance - brown
• Consistency of pale color stool with gross appearance of scanty mucus - loose
• Possible color of diarrheic stool with gross appearance of much mucus - Clay
• Gross appearance of watery, liquid stool with yellow color - mucus with scanty blood
• Consistency of red-brown color of stool and with gross appearance of others like blood and barium - Formed
• Possible color of semi-formed stool - green and other
• Possible cause of black color stool

  • Upper Git Bleeding
  • Iron Therapy
  • Charcoal
  • Bismuth
• Possible cause of Green stool

  • Biliverdin
  • Oral antibiotics
  • Green vegetable
• Possible cause of Red stool

  • Lower GIT bleeding
  • Ingestion of beefs and food coloring
  • Rifampin
• Possible cause of pale yellow, gray and white stool

  • Bile duct obstruction
  • Barium Sulfate
• Possible cause of stool with the presence of mucus and blood streak

  • Dysentery
  • Malignancy
• Guiac Slide Test - detection of occult blood (hidden blood)
• SEMEN - to evaluate fertility and post vasectomy procedures
• SEMENALYSIS - test we do for semen
• CEREBROSPINAL FLUID (CSF) - surrounds the brain and spinal cord to supply

  nutrients to the nervous tissue
• Normal CSF - Clear and colorless
• SYNOVIAL FLUID - also know as "joint fluid". Clear, pale-yellow, viscous fluid that lubricates and decreases friction in movable joint. Normally occurs in small amounts but increases when inflammation is present
• SEROUS FLUID - Pale-yellow, watery, serum-like fluid found between the double-layered membranes enclosing the pleural, pericardial, and peritoneal cavities. Normally present in small amounts, but volumes increase when inflammation or infection is present or when serum protein levels decrease
• Pleural fluid – aspirated from the pleural space, or cavity, surrounding the lungs
• Peritoneal fluid – aspirated from the abdominal cavity
• Pericardial fluid – aspirated from the pericardial cavity surrounding the heart
• AMNIOTIC FLUID - Clear, almost colorless to pale- yellow fluid that fills the membrane (amnion or amniotic sac) that surrounds and cushions a fetus in the uterus
• GASTRIC FLUID - Gastric analysis - examines stomach contents for abnormal substances and measures gastric acid concentration to evaluate stomach acid production
• BASAL GASTRIC ANALYSIS - Aspirating a sample of gastric fluid by means of a tube passed through the mouth and throat (oropharynx) or nose and throat (nasopharynx) into the stomach after a period of fasting tested to determine acidity prior to stimulation
• SPUTUM - Mucus or phlegm that is ejected from the trachea, bronchi, and lungs through deep coughing
• Sputum test for TB is often called an AFB culture or Acid-fast bacillus
• BUCCAL SWABS

  • A less invasive, painless alternative to blood collection for obtaining cells for DNA analysis

  • The phlebotomists collects the sample by gently massaging the mouth on the inside of the cheek with a special swab
• SALIVA

  • Fluid secreted by glands in mouth

  • Used to monitor hormone levels and detect alcohol and drug abuse (recent drug use)
• HAIR (AND NAILS) - collected for trace an heavy metal analysis and the detection of drugs of abuse
• BREATH

  • Collected and analyzed for hydrogen content in one type of lactose tolerance tests and to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)

  • Collected by the patient but assisted by a medical technologist
• C-UREA BREATH TEST (C-UBT) - this test s based on the fact that H. pylori produces urease, an enzyme that breaks down urea but is not normally present in the stomach
• HYDROGEN BREATH TEST

  • Helps identify problems with the digestion of carbohydrates such as lactose (milk sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar) and is thought to be the most accurate lactose tolerance test

  • Can also be used to detect bacteria overgrowth in the small intestine
• TISSUE SAMPLES - tissue specimens from biopsies may also be sent to the laboratory for processing