Stool Tests

The stool test at Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud Hammerly checks a small sample of your bowel movement for parasites, bacteria, hidden blood and other clues about what's going on in your gut. Families in Spring Branch bring it in when a child or adult has lingering diarrhea, stomach cramps that keep returning or bowel habits that suddenly changed.

What can the lab find in your sample?

• Eggs or forms of intestinal parasites, which turn up often in kids and after travel.
• Signs of a bacterial infection that explain diarrhea lasting longer than usual.
• Occult blood, meaning blood you can't see with your eyes but the test can pick up.
• Fat or poorly digested food, which hints at trouble absorbing nutrients.

How do you collect the sample at home without contaminating it?

1. Ask the clinic for the lidded container and instructions; don't use a kitchen jar.
2. Urinate first so urine doesn't mix with the sample.
3. Pass the stool onto clean plastic wrap or a disposable tray, not straight into the toilet water.
4. Use the little scoop in the lid to take a walnut-sized portion, especially from any mucus or bloody areas.
5. Close it tightly, write your name on it and bring it in as soon as you can; if there will be a delay, keep it bagged in the fridge.

Is there anything to tell us before the test?

Let the medical team know if you've taken antibiotics, laxatives, antacids or deworming medicine in recent weeks, since they can hide what we're looking for. For women, a period can cause a false positive for occult blood, so it's better to wait until it ends.

What comes next if a parasite or infection shows up?

We let you know when the result is ready and the medical team prescribes the treatment; with some parasites the people you live with are treated too. If there's hidden blood or the pain keeps going, the workup can continue with blood tests or an ultrasound, and when needed we guide the referral to a specialist.

You can drop off the container on Hammerly Blvd any day of the week, Sunday afternoons included.