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° Sample required: 1 vial with stool sample
° Lab reporting time: 3 - 5 business days
Overview
Each stool analysis determines the presence of a particular
parasite or bacteria antigen, using antibody to antigen on
stool. A positive result always indicates active infection.
Physiology
The presence of any of the above parasites or bacteria can
produce anatomic disruption of the intestinal mucosa resulting
from the physical infestation of the microorganism, and chemical
insult and physiological upset of the mucosa caused by adverse
reactions to the metabolic products of the invader. Maldigestion
and malabsorption causing nutrient and water deprivation can
produce long-term dysfunction of the host. The insidious nature
of this condition is marked by the observation that it can
persist subclinically for years, even decades. By the time
signs and symptoms become evident, the patient might be suffering
severe and extensive underlying pathophysiology.
Even more ominous than a primary infestation is the tendency
of invading microorganisms to metamorphosize into various
stages, and to migrate to tissues and organs sometimes distant
from the gastrointestinal tract. Such stages, including cysts,
can remain dormant within tissues, and can be extremely difficult
to detect. Discouragingly, the level of difficulty of detection
is often directly proportional to the level of difficulty
of treatment. These factors underscore the importance of maintaining
constant vigilance in controlling the intestinal environment.
Clinical Aspects
Optimal GI health is a prerequisite for most body physiology.
The functions of digestion and absorption are so fundamental
to the maintenance of homeostasis in metabolism that every
physiological process is ultimately dependent upon the gastrointestinal
system. Suboptimal GI function can be either a basic cause
of or a substantial contributor to a variety of disorders,
some of which may have seemingly little or no obvious clinical
correlation to GI physiology.
Conditions Assessed
Conditions that may be assessed include suspected parasitic
or bacterial infection, maldigestion, malabsorption and pathologies
caused by infectious agents.
Logical Sequence of Testing
The logical sequence of using this test as an initial or as
a follow-up test is determined by a variety of individual
considerations, including the patient's chief complaint, the
array of signs and symptoms, the chronicity of the condition,
the tests previously taken, and the judgment of the practitioner.
Technical assistance is available from BioHealth Diagnostics'
support staff.
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Helicobacter pylori: Recent
Studies (Seminar Handout) - 1.5Mb ZIP FILE 
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