Stool tests
Key points below
How to collect stool for testing
Stool is another name for poop. When someone goes to the bathroom to poop this is also called a bowel movement. It may be helpful to have a lab examine poop to know how to take care of a person. The lab calls what is collected for the test a stool specimen or sample. You are being asked to bring a stool sample from home for a test.
Important: Print your child’s name, birth date, and date and time stool was collected on the containers or cards.
- If your baby or child wears a diaper: Line the diaper with plastic wrap, like Saran Wrap®. The plastic will be next to your baby’s skin. When your baby poops it will be on the plastic. Scoop the poop into the right container for the test your baby needs. The liquid part of the poop is needed for testing, so scoop that into the container if you can.
– Do not bring the diaper to the lab. Only bring the poop in the container.
- If your child is uses a toilet: Put the plastic “hat bowl” in the toilet. Your child, can go to the bathroom into the hat. Scoop the stool into the right container for the test your child needs. Do not include urine, or pee, in the container.
When you are ready to bring the sample to the lab
- Allow extra time at the lab to register.
- Bring the labeled containers to one of these labs during these hours:
Milwaukee Lab
Monday – Thursday 7am - 7pm
Friday 7am – 5:30pm
Saturday 8am – 1pm
Sunday 9am – 12 pm
New Berlin Lab
Monday - Friday 7:30am – 5:45pm
Saturday 8:30am – 11:45am
Mequon Lab
Monday - Friday 7:30am – 4:45pm
Kenosha Lab
Monday - Friday 7:30am – 4:45pm
Delafield Lab
Wednesday or Thursday 8:30am – 4:30pm
*Closed 12:00 noon until 1:00 pm
Appleton Lab
Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:30pm
Each stool test must be put in its own container. Please do not put more than one stool test in the same container, unless the directions tell you to. The type of tests your child needs are circled. Get only one specimen per day for all of these tests except fat tests.
| Stool test name | Type of container to use | How to store it |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha-1-Antitrypsin | Clear container with screw cap. | Freeze within 1 hour of collection. Transport on ice to lab within 7 days. |
| Blood Occult | Seracult® Occult card. Samples must be from 3 separate poops. Put the poop onto the card immediately. Label each card with child’s name, birth date, collection date and time. | Store card at room temperature up to 14 days. Specimen must be in the lab by the 14th day. |
| Calprotectin | Clear container with screw cap | Room temperature up to 2 days. Refrigerate up to 2 days. Frozen up to 2 days. |
| Clostridioides difficile (C-diff) |
Clear container with screw cap. Collect on soft or liquid stool. Do not collect on children under 1 year old. |
Room temperature up to 24 hrs. Refrigerate up to 4 days. |
| Cryptosporidium and Giardia | Put stool in White cap “SAF” vial within one hour of collecting. Doctor may order 3 tests. The samples of poop must be collected on 3 different days. *If collecting along with O and P Total Exam, one container may be used for both. |
Room temperature up to 7 days. |
| Elastase | Clear container with screw cap. | Room temperature or refrigerate up to 4 days. Frozen up to 14 days. Transport to lab on ice. |
| Electrolytes |
Clear container with screw cap. Collect only liquid stool. |
Freeze within 1 hour of collection. Transport on ice to lab. |
| Enteric Pathogens, Bacterial. Common or Uncommon. |
Put stool in Red cap “Enteric Set” vial within 4 hours of collection. *If collecting along with Enteric Pathogens Viral, one container may be used. |
Refrigerate up to 36 hours. |
| Enteric Pathogens, Viral. Includes Rotavirus, Norovirus, Adenovirus, Sapovirus, and Human Astrovirus |
Put stool in Red cap “Enteric Set” vial. *If collecting along with Enteric Pathogens Bacterial, Common or Uncommon, one container may be used. |
Refrigerate up to 36 hours. |
| Fat (Qualitative) | Clear container with screw cap. | Refrigerate immediately up to 72 hours. Freeze immediately up to 7 days and return to lab frozen on ice within 7 days. |
| Fat (72 hour total) with diet history | Large plastic container with screw cap. | Put all poop for 3 whole days in the large container obtained from the laboratory. At the beginning of a day, start the dietary log and begin collecting the stools (poops). Do this for 3 whole days. If one stool is flushed by mistake, the stools already saved must be thrown away. You will need to restart again the next day. Refrigerate stool during collection. Freeze stool at the end of 3 day collection. Bring frozen stool on ice to the laboratory within 7 days. The dietary log must be returned to the clinic. |
| H. pylori antigen | Clear container with screw cap. (Must be size of pea or 1 Tablespoon if liquid). | Refrigerate sample immediately up to 48 hours. Frozen up to 7 days. Transport to lab on ice |
| Lactoferrin | Clear container with screw cap. (Must be size of walnut or 1 Tablespoon if liquid). | Freeze within 24 hours of collection. Transport to lab on ice to keep sample frozen. Sample is stable for up to 14 days frozen. |
| Reducing Substances | Clear container with screw cap. | Refrigerate immediately up to 12 hours. Frozen up to 14 days. Transport to lab on ice. |
| O and P (Total Exam). Doctor may order 3 tests |
Put stool in White cap “SAF” vial within one hour of collection. Doctor may order 3 tests. The specimens must be collected on 3 different days. *If collecting along with Giardia and Cryptosporidium, one container may be used |
Room temperature up to 7 days. |
| pH | Clear container with screw cap. | Freeze within 30 minutes of collection. Transport on ice to lab up to 7 days. |