General analysis of feces: what shows, norms, causes of deviations, research in an adult, what are they, what shows which is the most informative, decoding, what it says, what gives

Coprogram is an analysis familiar to everyone from childhood. Experts have long known that food waste contains a lot of valuable information. A general analysis of feces will help determine the condition of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract and detect parasitic organisms. What this diagnostic method shows and how to properly prepare for its delivery, read on.

Stool composition

Stool (feces, stool, stool) is the contents of the lower portions of the colon that are meant to be excreted during a bowel movement. The basis for the formation of feces is chyme. It is a food bolus made up of half-digested food, digestive enzymes, secretions, bile, and epithelial cells.

The daily stool volume ranges from 150 to 400 g, depending on the physiology and characteristics of the diet. With a mixed diet, for example, this figure is within 200g. It is noticed that food of plant origin contributes to an increase in the amount of feces, and animal food, on the contrary, reduces it.

Feces consist of the following elements:

• water;
• products of the activity of bacteria, bile pigments and other organisms in the intestine;
• food leftovers.

Standard bowel movements are dense and cylindrical in shape. When eating a large amount of plant foods, the feces become mushy, and with frequent water consumption - watery. The color of stool with a standard diet acquires a dark brown tint, if the emphasis is on meat dishes, it approaches black. Dairy products and vegetarian meals will lighten the feces.

Diagnostic value of coprogram

General analysis of feces is a chemical and physical study of the composition of feces for the purpose of identifying pathological processes in the digestive tract and tracking the dynamics of the development of diseases.

The data obtained during the examination of the material provide an opportunity to study the work of the digestive processes, to identify the rate of passage of food in the body and, if necessary, to correct the process treatment. In addition, the presence of lamblia, helminths and other parasitic organisms is detected.

Diseases

The list of pathologies that are detected through the analysis of feces is quite wide. According to the results of the study, the following primary diagnoses can be established.

Table 1. Diseases detectable through fecal analysis

Disease	Symptoms
Cholelithiasis.	The feces acquire a beige tint, there is an eructation of bile, discomfort in the liver area and frequent bouts of nausea.
Stomach and duodenal ulcer.	Injury to the mucous membrane leads to the formation of rich black feces.
Dysentery, hemorrhoids and ulcerative colitis.	Bloody discharge.
Chronic pancreatitis.	Changes in the intestinal microflora are fraught with the formation of a large amount of undigested food in the stool. The fetid odor associated with putrefaction is characteristic of the stool.
Dysbacteriosis.	The stool becomes runny and smells unpleasant.
Inflammatory bowel processes and colitis.	These ailments are accompanied by the formation of mucus in the feces.

List of pathologies for which the coprogram is recommended:

• chronic hemorrhoids;
• ulcerative colitis;
• typhoid fever;
• anal fissure;
• helminthiasis;
• Crohn's disease;
• cirrhosis;
• colon diverticulosis;
• duodenal ulcer and stomach;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• hemolytic anemia;
• benign and malignant formations in the intestine;
• colitis;
• amoebiasis;
• salmonellosis;
• pancreatitis;
• dyspepsia.

Note. Despite the ease of use of the method of visual examination of feces, self-diagnosis is contraindicated. Only a qualified specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.

Types of stool tests

Coprogram includes macroscopic, chemical and microscopic examination. Stool analysis goes through several stages.

Table 2. Types of stool tests

Disease	Symptoms
Cholelithiasis.	The feces acquire a beige tint, there is an eructation of bile, discomfort in the liver area and frequent bouts of nausea.
Stomach and duodenal ulcer.	Injury to the mucous membrane leads to the formation of rich black feces.
Dysentery, hemorrhoids and ulcerative colitis.	Bloody discharge.
Chronic pancreatitis.	Changes in the intestinal microflora are fraught with the formation of a large amount of undigested food in the stool. The fetid odor associated with putrefaction is characteristic of the stool.
Dysbacteriosis.	The stool becomes runny and smells unpleasant.
Inflammatory bowel processes and colitis. Inflammatory bowel processes and colitis.	These ailments are accompanied by the formation of mucus in the feces.

Summarizing the data obtained, specialists get a general picture of the state of the digestive system organs.

Research results

There are developed criteria for assessing feces.

The accepted standard for the state of feces has the following characteristics:

• dense structure;
• Brown color;
• lack of a pungent odor;
• cylindrical shape.

In a healthy body, the feces do not reveal muscle fibers, fatty inclusions, yeast or starch.

Decoding indicators

Each of the studied positions makes it possible to assess the work of the digestive tract as informatively as possible. The analysis is done throughout the day and is valid for 2 weeks.

Feces

A healthy person leaves up to 200 g of feces per day. At standard rates, stool is 80% water and 20% dry material. In the pathology of the digestive organs, the volume of feces is of great importance.

For example, if there is an excessive increase in the volume of feces, there is a violation of the processes of absorption of food in the small intestine. A decrease in the number of bowel movements may indicate chronic colitis.

Stool consistency

According to the structure of the chair, the laboratory assistant can draw preliminary conclusions regarding the functioning of the digestive tract:

1. A dense structure is considered the norm.
2. Too hard is characteristic of frequent constipation, which is a consequence of excessive absorption of water.
3. Liquid is observed during the activation of intestinal motility due to incomplete absorption of water.
4. Oily is observed in patients with acute pancreatitis.
5. Foamy appears during fermentation processes and excess formation of carbon dioxide.
   
   

   Stool consistency

Small deviations from the established norm are often caused by the peculiarities of the filling of the diet.

Chair color

Brown faeces are considered standard. Any deviations from the norm indicate the presence of pathologies or are provoked by the use of certain products.

The relationship between discoloration of stool and pathologies:

• Bleached. Signals of cholelithiasis. The stones that form in the gallbladder prevent the full outflow of bile, which leads to the development of obstructive jaundice. Stool becomes less saturated and becomes whitish. Such processes are often preceded by hepatic colic;
• Black. Tar-like structure is a symptom of a stomach ulcer or 12-duodenal ulcer. A deviation from the standard occurs due to a crack in a blood vessel located at the base of the ulcer. Liver cirrhosis is also often accompanied by darkening of feces.
  
  

  Activated carbon has the ability to color the feces in a rich black color

Foods of plant origin are capable of changing the color of stool: beets give a brownish-red hue, cocoa, blueberries and coffee - brown, iron contributes to darkening.

Stool shape

A cylindrical shaped chair is considered the norm. Changes in the structure are associated with pathological processes of the digestive system:

• Large lumps. Appear in people who pay little attention to physical activity. Colon cancer also contributes to the formation of enlarged stools;
• "Sheep feces". Warns of a spastic state of the intestines. It is observed with prolonged fasting, ulcerative formations or hemorrhoids.
• Ribbon shape. It is characteristic for prolonged spasms or intestinal neoplasms.

Loose stool can be a harbinger of maldigestion syndrome.

Feces smell

A healthy body "produces" feces that do not have a pungent odor. If gastronomic preferences are focused on meat products, it can increase and decrease with the predominance of plant foods in the diet.

An unpleasant "aroma" is considered a harbinger of the following pathological processes:

• Chronic pancreatitis. Disruptions in the production of digestive juice by the pancreas lead to poor-quality food processing. This is fraught with vigorous activity of putrefactive organisms, emitting fetid substances;
• Dysbacteriosis. Abnormal changes in the structure of bacteria related to the intestinal microflora are fraught with the formation of mushy feces with a pungent odor.

The sour smell is associated with malfunctioning of the pancreas.

Presence of blood

If fragments of blood are found during a visual examination, the following conditions should be checked:

• haemorrhoids;
• ulcerative colitis;
• dysentery.

It is not always possible to see blood without the use of appropriate equipment. An occult blood test helps detect the following pathologies:

• helminthiasis;
• ulcerative diseases;
• polyposis.

An increase in the mucous membrane in volume, accompanied by the formation of polyps, leads to difficulty in the passage of food in the body. Facing obstacles in the form of neoplasms, the food lump damages the intestinal walls and leaves the body along with blood particles.

Protein presence

Protein signals the possible presence of the following diseases:

• Chronic atrophic gastritis. The production of gastric juice stops, which complicates the breakdown and processing of proteins. As a result, this compound leaves the body along with feces;
• Chronic pancreatitis. A decrease in the production of juice by the pancreas leads to the appearance of protein in the feces.

Also, undigested proteins are fraught with the activation of putrefactive processes.

Reaction to bilirubin and stercobilin

Bilirubin is a bile pigment that is transformed into stercobilin under the influence of intestinal microflora.

In the presence of bilirubin, predictions about pathological processes can be made. In case of dysbiosis, for example, this element does not turn into stercobilin and remains in the feces in its "original" form. Also, the main component of bile does not have time to transform in the presence of acute gastroenteritis, after severe food poisoning and the use of antibacterial agents.

The absence or significant decrease in the level of stercobilin indicates a blockage of the bile duct. This is possible with the formation of benign or malignant tumors.

Excess mucus

Mucus is a jelly-like substance that is secreted by the intestines in order to improve the passage of the food bolus. Due to the fact that it mixes with feces, it is impossible to detect this element without a microscope.

For inflammatory and infectious processes of the colon and salmonellosis, an increased production of mucus is characteristic.

Muscle fibers

They are unprocessed pieces of meat that are found in stool. Excessive fiber content is called creatorrhea. It accompanies pancreatitis and atrophic gastritis. A decrease in the acidity of the stomach and the production of digestive juices negatively affects the digestion of meat and is fraught with the settling of muscle fibers in the feces.

Fat and undigested food

The presence of fat in faeces is believed to be due to pancreatic dysfunction. This organ produces lipase, an element that helps break down fat. With poor production of this compound, steatorrhea develops. This disease is characterized by the formation of oily feces with a characteristic oily sheen. Insufficient production of gastric juice leads to accelerated transport of feces through the digestive tract. This pathology is observed in patients with low acidity.

The presence of starch, leukocytes and pus

A large amount of starch in the stool is manifested with overly active intestinal motility. In case of failures in the process of absorption of useful elements by the large intestine, an increase in the content of this substance is possible.

Leukocytes in feces indicate the presence of inflammation. Due to the fact that the function of these blood cells is to neutralize infectious diseases, exceeding the permissible norm is a harbinger of intestinal infection or ulcerative colitis. Pus in the stool is noted with severe inflammation of the colon mucosa.

Invasive diseases

Normally, this indicator should be negative. This conclusion means that the larvae or eggs of parasites in the body have not been identified. If the result is positive, an additional blood test is carried out to establish the type of helminths.

Acid-base reaction

An acidic reaction is observed during the revitalization of the iodophilic flora. This process is accompanied by the formation of carbon dioxide and the production of organic acids. Alkaline occurs with poor food processing and frequent constipation.

The presence of plant fiber and epithelium

The human digestive system does not produce enzymes to break down fiber. A large amount of cellulose is noted during the rapid evacuation of food from the stomach and the syndrome of excessive bacterial growth in the intestine. An increase in the volume of the epithelium is characteristic of acute colitis.

Presence of yeast cells and crystals

Yeast cells in feces are formed after a course of antibiotics. Crystals are evidence of achlorhydria - the absence of hydrochloric acid in gastric juice.

Preparatory activities

To obtain accurate results, experts recommend that you go on a diet a few days before passing a general analysis of feces. This measure will help to avoid inaccurate decryption of the received data.

Table 3. Diet options

Diet	Daily rate
Schmidt.	1.5 liters of milk; 100 g of oatmeal; 3 soft-boiled eggs; 1 slice of white bread, oiled 200g mashed potatoes; 150g of boiled meat. The daily calorie content is 2,250 kcal. The number of meals is 5 times a day. This diet will help avoid undigested food debris in your stool.
Pevzner.	400g white bread; 200g buckwheat or rice porridge; 30g sugar; 100g sauerkraut; 250g fried potatoes; 250g stew 100g butter; 150g vegetable salad; 200g dried fruit compote. Caloric content is 3 250 kcal.

The principle of Pevzner's nutrition is to increase the nutritional load on the human body. In the presence of acute inflammatory processes or dysfunctions of the gastrointestinal tract, the use of this method is not recommended.

Collection rules

Material for research should be collected in the morning, immediately after waking up. The recommended amount is from 10 to 15 g.

Basic collection rules:

1. Before defecation, it is necessary to clean the genitals and anus area with a gel for intimate hygiene.
2. It is not advisable for women to be tested during critical days.
3. If a study of the gastrointestinal tract using barium took place a few weeks before the laboratory diagnosis of feces, the analysis is contraindicated. It is also not recommended to collect material after taking drugs, the action of which is aimed at peristalsis, and a suppository that can change the color of feces.

If the patient suffers from regular constipation, a colon massage or a cleansing enema should be given.

Video - General analysis of feces