Many illnesses can be discovered through stool examinations, which is why these tests continue to be a part of every complete health screening process. If you’ve never given a stool sample before, rest assured that the process will be quick and clean. If you’re asked to provide a stool sample during your health screening, keep in mind that you can also do the stool collection at home and bring the sample back to the hospital, if you prefer.  

In order to get the most accurate results from your stool sample, there are some steps you need to take when gathering your sample. The staff at Bumrungrad International can offer you detailed advice on how to do this successfully to ensure the most accurate results from your stool examination.

What are the Benefits of a Stool Examination?

The stool examination portion of the complete Bumrungrad International Health Screening Program is known as “Stool Exam & Occult Blood”. This test has two main components:

1. Stool Exam is an assessment of the general characteristics of the stool – checking for the presence of parasites, protozoa, white blood cells, and red blood cells. This assists in the diagnosis of various conditions regarding the digestive system.
2. Occult Blood is an assessment of whether blood is mixing with stool, which occurs in conditions related to the stomach and intestines, and includes conditions such as stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, and gastrointestinal cancer, and more.

Procedure for Collecting a Stool Sample at Home

1. If possible, make sure you have first emptied your bladder in order to avoid contamination with urine as this could produce unreliable results. 
2. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after collecting the stool sample. , 
3. You’ll need a clean instrument with which to collect your sample. This can be a clean wooden stick (like those used for ice-cream bars), or a clean plastic spoon. Whatever it is, make sure it is clean and disposable. 
4. Make sure that the plastic container given to you for transporting your stool is clean and ready. 
5. Once all instruments are ready, and you are prepared for a bowel movement, make sure to place a barrier between your stool and the toilet water. You can use a clean plastic bag or plastic wrap. This will help you ensure that the stool isn’t contaminated with anything else before collection. 

6. Using the collection instrument or clean stick or plastic spoon, place a small sample into the clean collection container and make sure to close the lid tightly, ensuring not to contaminate your stool sample with anything else.
7. Place the container into the plastic bag you’ve been given, and fill out the necessary information on the sticker label. 
8. Bring the stool sample to the Health Screening Center on the 11th Floor of the Bumrungrad International Clinic Building during operating hours (07.00-15.00). It is recommended that your stool sample is delivered to the hospital on the same day as your health screening. 
9. Do not keep your stool sample at home for longer than 4 hours. If it is absolutely not possible to get the sample back to the hospital within the 4 hours, then you may refrigerate the sample for up to 24 hours. 

Notes

1. The results are available approximately two hours after the specimen is received by our laboratory.
2. Once your stool sample has been delivered to the health screening center, the necessary tests will be performed and you will be notified of the findings as soon as possible. 
3. Do not store the stool sample in the freezer; doing so can lead to inaccurate results. 
4. Stool sample collection procedures during a health screening at the hospital may vary due to location, facilities, and available equipment. 
5. Certain insurance and contracting partner companies do not cover stool examinations. If you are interested in receiving a stool examination as an addition to your health screening, please inform the management staff and request a price quote.