Stool Culture
Culture, Stool, Fecal Culture
What To Think About
- A stool culture may be ordered if you have diarrhea and drank untreated well or lake water or have been traveling to a rural area or outside of the country.
- You may still have an infection even if your stool culture test is normal.
- Sensitivity testing helps your doctor choose the best treatment for the specific disease or infection.
- A stool sample may be tested for parasites such as pinworms, roundworms, tapeworms and the protozoan Giardia that causes giardiasis. The parasites or their eggs can often be seen during an examination of the stool sample under a microscope. For more information, see the topics Pinworms or Giardiasis.
- A stool sample can also be checked for:
- White blood cells, which may be caused by diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease.
- Blood, which may be caused by ulcers or cancer of the colon.
- Poisonous substances (toxins) produced by some types of bacteria.
- A stool analysis is a series of tests done on a sample of stool to help diagnose certain conditions affecting the digestive tract, including infection, poor absorption, or cancer. For more information, see the medical test Stool Analysis.
 Go to previous section |  Go to top of page |  Go to next section |
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: May 5, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine Peter J. Kahrilas, MD - Gastroenterology | |
 | ||
| |
| Topic Contents | |
| Test Overview | |
| Why It Is Done | |
| How To Prepare | |
| How It Is Done | |
| How It Feels | |
| Risks | |
| Results | |
| What Affects the Test | |
 | What To Think About |
| References | |
| Credits | |