Faecal Sampling Flashcards
1
Q
How is faeces collected and stored?
A
- Rectal swab if small quantity needed
- Wide-mouthed pot if needs a freshly passed uncontaminated faeces sample
- Store in fridge or in freezer if for trypsin estimation
2
Q
What are the components of faecal analysis?
A
- Gross appearance
- Direct smear
- Parvovirus antigen
- Bacteriological culture
- Parasites
3
Q
What does consistency suggest about faeces?
A
- Normal
- Increased fluidity = diarrhoea
- Small and dry = constipation
4
Q
What does colour suggest about faeces?
A
- Black and tarry = digested blood (melaena)
- Fresh red blood = undigested from large intestine (haematochezia)
- Pale and fatty (floats in water) = poor fat digestion (steatorrhoea)
5
Q
How do you do a direct faecal smear?
A
- Spread small amounts of faeces collected from rectum on slide
- Mix with saline using toothpick and apply coverslip
- Unstained for protozoa e.g., Giardia
- Stained for undigested food, starch granules, fat globules and muscle fibres
6
Q
When is bacteria indicated in consideration with faeces?
A
- Haemorrhagic diarrhoea
- Pyrexia
- Neutrophilia
- Faecal flora reflects in LI not SI
7
Q
What should be checked in a blood sample for small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO)?
A
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
8
Q
What tests can be done for parasitology in faeces?
A
- Sedimentation techniques (Larvae)
- Floatation techniques (Worm eggs and protozoa)
9
Q
What is the Baermann technique?
A
- Sedimentation technique using a funnel to discard supernatant
