Common elements of stool studies.
- C. diff (Clostridium difficile toxins A+B, EIA) – If recent hospitalization or antibiotic treatment
- Fecal Leukocytes (Fecal WBC) – Detects WBCs that may be present in the stool when there is a bacterial infection, e.g C. difficile. “The leukocyte count is usually not elevated in viral-mediated and toxin-mediated diarrhea. Leukocytosis is often but not constantly observed with enteroinvasive bacteria. Shigella organisms cause a marked bandemia with a variable total white blood cell count.”
- Stool culture – Always culture stool for Salmonella, Shigella, and Campylobacter organisms and Y. enterocolitica in the presence of clinical signs of colitis or if fecal leukocytes are found.
- Stool Ova & Parasites – Get if diarrhea lasts more than 10 days, or if travel to endemic area, exposure to unpurified water, community outbreak, daycare, HIV positive, or MSM (Men who have sex with men)
- Fecal Fat – Measures fat level in the stool; increased level is associated with malabsorption that can be caused by celiac disease, pancreatic insufficiency, or cystic fibrosis, for example.
- Cryptosporidium / Isospora Smear
- +/- stool ELISAs (viruses, cryptosporidia, Giardia)
- Serologies (E. Histolytica)
- Fecal calprotectin or lactoferrin -Detect inflammation associated with IBD, etc.
* An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, also called ELISA or EIA, is a test that detects and measures antibodies in your blood. This test can be used to determine if you have antibodies related to certain infectious conditions.
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/928598-workup
https://labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/diarrhea/start/2/