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Stool Sample
A stool test is a medical diagnostic technique that involves the collection and analysis of fecal matter. Microbial analysis (culturing), microscopy and chemical tests are among the tests performed on stool samples. Collection Stool samples should be sent to the laboratory as soon as possible after collection and should not be refrigerated prior to receipt by the laboratory. Visual examination The patient and/or health care worker in the office or at the bedside is able to make some important observations. * Color * Texture/consistency—formed * Classify type of feces (diagnostic triad for irritable bowel syndrome) based on Bristol stool scale Cancer screening Fecal occult blood test and fecal immunochemical test are the most common stool tests to diagnose many conditions that caused by bleeding in the gastrointestinal system, including colorectal cancer or stomach cancer. Cancers, and to a lesser extent, precancerous lesions, shed abnormal cells into the stool. Cancers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bristol Stool Scale
The Bristol stool scale is a diagnostic medical tool designed to classify the form of human faeces into seven categories. It is used in both clinical and experimental fields. It was developed at the Bristol Royal Infirmary as a clinical assessment tool in 1997, and is widely used as a research tool to evaluate the effectiveness of treatments for various diseases of the bowel, as well as a clinical communication aid;Bristol scale stool form. A still valid help in medical practice and clinical research G Riegler, I Esposito – ''Techniques in coloproctology'', 2001 – Springer including being part of the diagnostic triad for irritable bowel syndrome. Interpretation The seven types of stool are: * Type 1: Separate hard lumps, like nuts (difficult to pass) * Type 2: Sausage-shaped, but lumpy * Type 3: Like a sausage but with cracks on its surface * Type 4: Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft (average stool) * Type 5: Soft blobs with clear cut edges * Type 6: Fluffy piec ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quality-adjusted Life Year
The quality-adjusted life year (QALY) is a generic measure of disease burden, including both the quality and the quantity of life lived. It is used in economic evaluation to assess the value of medical interventions. One QALY equates to one year in perfect health. QALY scores range from 1 (perfect health) to 0 (dead). QALYs can be used to inform health insurance coverage determinations, treatment decisions, to evaluate programs, and to set priorities for future programs. Critics argue that the QALY oversimplifies how actual patients would assess risks and outcomes, and that its use may restrict patients with disabilities from accessing treatment. Proponents of the measure acknowledge that the QALY has some shortcomings, but that its ability to quantify tradeoffs and opportunity costs from the patient and societal perspective make it a critical tool for equitably allocating resources. Calculation The QALY is a measure of the value of health outcomes to the people who experience ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fecal Fat
In medicine, the fecal fat test is a diagnostic test for fat malabsorption conditions, which lead to excess fat in the feces (steatorrhea). Background In the duodenum, dietary fat (primarily triglycerides) is digested by enzymes such as pancreatic lipase into smaller molecules of 1,2-Diacylglycerols and free fatty acids, which can be absorbed through the wall of the jejenum of the small intestine and enter circulation for metabolism and storage. Since fat is a valuable nutrient, human feces normally contains very little undigested fat. However, a number of diseases of the pancreas and gastrointestinal tract are characterized by fat malabsorption. Examples of such diseases are: * disorders of exocrine pancreatic function, such as chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis and Shwachman–Diamond syndrome (these are characterized by deficiency of pancreatic digestive enzymes) * celiac disease (in which the fat malabsorption in severe cases is due to inflammatory damage to the int ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steatorrhea
Steatorrhea (or steatorrhoea) is the presence of excess fat in feces. Stools may be bulky and difficult to flush, have a pale and oily appearance, and can be especially foul-smelling. An oily anal leakage or some level of fecal incontinence may occur. There is increased fat excretion, which can be measured by determining the fecal fat level. The definition of how much fecal fat constitutes steatorrhea has not been standardized. Causes Impaired digestion or absorption can result in fatty stools. Possible causes include exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, with poor digestion from lack of lipases, loss of bile salts, which reduces micelle formation, and small intestinal disease-producing malabsorption. Various other causes include certain medicines that block fat absorption or indigestible or excess oil/fat in diet. The absence of bile secretion can cause the feces to turn gray or pale. Bile is responsible for the brownish color of feces. Other features of fat malabsorption may als ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lactose Intolerance
Lactose intolerance is a common condition caused by a decreased ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Those affected vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, flatulence, and nausea. These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking milk-based food. Their severity typically depends on the amount a person eats or drinks. Lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Lactose intolerance is due to the lack of the enzyme lactase in the small intestines to break lactose down into glucose and galactose. There are four types: primary, secondary, developmental, and congenital. Primary lactose intolerance occurs as the amount of lactase declines as people age. Secondary lactose intolerance is due to injury to the small intestine. Such injury could be the result of infection, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fecal PH Test
A fecal pH test is one where a specimen of feces is tested for acidity in order to diagnose a medical condition. The pH of human feces is variable but usually alkaline. An acidic stool can indicate a digestive problem such as lactose intolerance, an infection such as ''E. coli'' or rotavirus, or overgrowth of acid-producing bacteria (such as lactic acid bacteria). The average pH for a healthy person is 6.6.{{cite web, title=010991: pH, Stool, url=https://healthmatters.io/understand-blood-test-results/stool-ph Test procedure The test is fast and can be performed in a doctor's office. A patient must not be receiving antibiotics. At least half a milliliter of feces is collected, and a strip of nitrazine paper is dipped in the sample and compared against a color scale. A pH of less than 5.5 indicates an acidic sample.{{cite web, title=eMedicine - Gastroenteritis, Bacterial : Article by Jennifer Lynn Bonheur, MD, url=http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic855.htm Results Unhealthy indi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rotavirus
''Rotavirus'' is a genus of double-stranded RNA viruses in the family ''Reoviridae''. Rotaviruses are the most common cause of diarrhoeal disease among infants and young children. Nearly every child in the world is infected with a rotavirus at least once by the age of five. Immunity develops with each infection, so subsequent infections are less severe. Adults are rarely affected. There are nine species of the genus, referred to as A, B, C, D, F, G, H, I and J. ''Rotavirus A'', the most common species, causes more than 90% of rotavirus infections in humans. The virus is transmitted by the faecal-oral route. It infects and damages the cells that line the small intestine and causes gastroenteritis (which is often called "stomach flu" despite having no relation to influenza). Although rotavirus was discovered in 1973 by Ruth Bishop and her colleagues by electron micrograph images and accounts for approximately one third of hospitalisations for severe diarrhoea in infants an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Clostridium Difficile (bacteria)
''Clostridioides difficile'' ( syn. ''Clostridium difficile'') is a bacterium that is well known for causing serious diarrheal infections, and may also cause colon cancer. Also known as ''C. difficile'', or ''C. diff'' (), is Gram-positive species of spore-forming bacteria. ''Clostridioides'' spp. are anaerobic, motile bacteria, ubiquitous in nature and especially prevalent in soil. Its vegetative cells are rod-shaped, pleomorphic, and occur in pairs or short chains. Under the microscope, they appear as long, irregular (often drumstick- or spindle-shaped) cells with a bulge at their terminal ends (forms subterminal spores). Under Gram staining, ''C. difficile'' cells are Gram-positive and show optimum growth on blood agar at human body temperatures in the absence of oxygen. ''C. difficile'' is catalase- and superoxide dismutase-negative, and produces up to three types of toxins: enterotoxin A, cytotoxin B and Clostridioides difficile transferase (CDT). Under stress condi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whipworm
''Trichuris trichiura, Trichocephalus trichiuris'' or whipworm, is a parasitic roundworm (a type of helminth) that causes trichuriasis (a type of helminthiasis which is one of the neglected tropical diseases) when it infects a human large intestine. It is commonly known as the ''whipworm'' which refers to the shape of the worm; it looks like a whip with wider "handles" at the posterior end. Life cycle The female ''T. trichiura'' produces 2,000–10,000 single-celled eggs per day. Eggs are deposited from human feces to soil where, after two to three weeks, they become embryonated and enter the "infective" stage. These embryonated infective eggs are ingested by hand-mouth or through formites and hatch in the human small intestine, exploiting the intestinal microflora as a stimulus to hatching. This is the location of growth and molting. The infective larvae penetrate the villi and continue to develop in the small intestine. The young worms move to the caecum and penetrate the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strongyloidiasis
Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the nematode called '' Strongyloides stercoralis'', or sometimes the closely related ''S. fülleborni''. These helminths belong to a group of nematodes called roundworms. These intestinal worms can cause a number of symptoms in people, principally skin symptoms, abdominal pain, diarrhea and weight loss, but also many other specific and vague symptoms in disseminated disease, and severe life-threatening conditions through hyperinfection. In some people, particularly those who require corticosteroids or other immunosuppressive medication, ''Strongyloides'' can cause a hyperinfection syndrome that can lead to death if untreated. The diagnosis is made by blood and stool tests. The medication ivermectin is widely used to treat strongyloidiasis. Strongyloidiasis is a type of soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Low estimates postulate it to affect 30–100 million people worldwide, mainly in tropical and subtropical countries, whil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hookworm
Hookworms are intestinal, blood-feeding, parasitic roundworms that cause types of infection known as helminthiases. Hookworm infection is found in many parts of the world, and is common in areas with poor access to adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene. In humans, infections are caused by two main species of roundworm, belonging to the genera ''Ancylostoma'' and '' Necator''. In other animals the main parasites are species of ''Ancylostoma''. Species The two most common types of hookworm that infect humans are ''Ancylostoma duodenale'' and '' Necator americanus''. Hookworm species that are known to infect domestic cats are '' Ancylostoma braziliense'' and '' Ancylostoma tubaeforme''. Wild cats are infected by '' Ancylostoma pluridentatum''. Dogs are commonly infected by '' Ancylostoma caninum'', but may also be infected by '' Uncinaria stenocephala'' and ''Ancylostoma braziliense''. In Asia, '' Ancylostoma ceylanicum'' is endemic among dogs and cats and infects humans. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ascariasis
Ascariasis is a disease caused by the parasitic roundworm ''Ascaris lumbricoides''. Infections have no symptoms in more than 85% of cases, especially if the number of worms is small. Symptoms increase with the number of worms present and may include shortness of breath and fever in the beginning of the disease. These may be followed by symptoms of abdominal swelling, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Children are most commonly affected, and in this age group the infection may also cause poor weight gain, malnutrition, and learning problems. Infection occurs by ingestion of food or drink contaminated with ''Ascaris'' eggs from feces. The eggs hatch in the intestines, the larvae burrow through the gut wall, and migrate to the lungs via the blood. There they break into the alveoli and pass up the trachea, where they are coughed up and may be swallowed. The larvae then pass through the stomach for a second time into the intestine, where they become adult worms. It is a type of soil-tr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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