Stool Collection Guidelines

Your child&#;s poop (stool) must be tested so we can plan the treatment for them. You will collect a sample of their poop at home, then bring it to a Nationwide Children's Hospital Laboratory Service Center.

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You Will Need 

• The right container(s) for the test(s) ordered. Not all tests use the same containers. 
• A tongue depressor or plastic spoon
• For an older child, a toilet hat or plastic wrap
• A label to put on the container
• Disposable exam gloves (optional)

Labeling

You may be given an EPIC registration label to put on the container(s). If not, label the sample as follows:

• Before collecting the sample:
  • Child&#;s full legal first and last names, correctly spelled
  • One of the following unique identifiers:
    • Date of Birth or
    • Patient&#;s ID or
    • Nationwide Children's Hospital medical record number
• After collecting the sample:
  • Date of sample collection (MM/DD/YYYY) 
  • Time of sample collection (include a.m. or p.m.)

Collecting

• Collect the sample even if your child has loose, runny poops or diarrhea. 
• Wash your hands before and after handling your child's poop. Poop can contain germs that spread infection. You may use disposable exam gloves.
• For the test to be accurate:
  • There should be no creams or ointments on your child's bottom. However, if your child has diaper rash, it is okay to use cornstarch, petroleum jelly (Vaseline®), or Resinol®. These products will not affect the test.
  • The poop must not mix with pee (urine).
  • Do not collect poop from the toilet.

Infants

Take the poop out of the diaper. If the poop is loose or runny, put the plastic side of the diaper next to the skin. Leave the diaper on long enough to collect enough poop. 

Take the poop out of the diaper. If the poop is loose or runny, put the plastic side of the diaper next to the skin. Leave the diaper on long enough to collect enough poop.

Toddlers

If your toddler is toilet trained, you can use a clean, dry training potty, training pants, or a diaper to collect some poop. 

If your toddler is toilet trained, you can use a clean, dry training potty, training pants, or a diaper to collect some poop.

Older Children

• Use a clean, dry toilet hat to collect poop. Place the toilet hat on the back rim of the toilet bowl, just under the toilet seat.
• If using plastic wrap, loosely lay a long section of it over the whole rim of the toilet bowl so poop can fall onto the plastic. 

Preparing

Before you put stool into the specimen container, see pages 4 and 5 to know the exact amount, timing, and other special instructions for the type of test.

1. Check the label, Make sure it has your child's full legal name and date of birth, patient ID number, or medical record number. Then, write the date and time of the collection. The sample will not be tested if their name and at least one other patient identifier are not on the label. 
2. Use a tongue depressor or a plastic spoon to place the right amount of poop into the sample container for the test ordered.
3. Secure the lid on the container(s), then place them in a resealable bag.
4. Throw the tongue depressor or plastic spoon away.
5. Bring the stool sample to a Laboratory Service Center as soon as possible. If you cannot bring it right away, some samples may need to be refrigerated or frozen.

If you are collecting specimens for more than one child:

• Wash your hands before getting poop from each child.
• Make sure the label on each container is filled out completely.
• Put each child's sample in a separate, resealable bag.

Drop-off Options

• During the day, drop the specimen off at:
  • Any Laboratory Service Center or Nationwide Children's Close To Home&#; Center.
  • Nationwide Children's Orange Laboratory located at 555 S. 18th Street, Columbus, Ohio .
• In the evening:
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital Admitting Department on main campus.
• Please do not drop off stool specimens at the Emergency Department.
• For hours, locations, or questions, please call Laboratory Services at (800) 934- or visit NationwideChildrens.org/Lab.

Stool Collection Chart 

Stool Collection Guidelines (PDF), Brazilian Portuguese (PDF), Somali (PDF), Spanish (PDF)

Helping Hands&#; Patient Education Materials

Helping Hands&#; are easy-to-read guides about different illnesses, therapies, surgeries, and more. They&#;re created by the Patient Education team at Nationwide Children&#;s Hospital and are reviewed and approved by clinical staff, like nurses, doctors, pharmacists, and psychologists. Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for misuse of information in patient education materials, including Helping Hands&#;.

HH-III-141 &#; ©, revised &#; Nationwide Children's Hospital

Key takeaways:

• Stool tests can help your healthcare provider diagnose conditions involving the digestive tract.     

• Your healthcare provider will give you a kit with all the supplies you need to make collecting a stool sample convenient.    

• It&#;s important to keep your stool sample free from contamination. Always wash your hands with soap and water after handling stool.

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There are several medical conditions that may prompt your healthcare provider to ask you for a stool sample. Stool samples are helpful when looking for certain infections or inflammation in the digestive system. 

If you&#;re asked to provide a stool sample, have no fear. Sending in a stool sample will not require you to stay in the hospital or take any medications. And you can do it from the comfort of your home. 

How should you properly collect a stool sample? 

If you&#;ve been asked to collect and turn in a stool sample, you&#;ll be given a kit to collect the stool. The kit should have a specimen container or cup to collect the stool, as well as a submission bag. The kit may also include gloves, a disposable potty (to catch the stool), a label with your information, and a spatula or spoon. 

Follow these five steps so that you can collect a proper stool sample that your healthcare provider can use:

1. If your kit comes with a potty, place the potty in the toilet (under the lid) to catch stool before it hits the toilet. If not, you can use a clean, empty container. 

2. Have a regular bowel movement. Try not to get any urine or toilet water in the specimen cup. The goal is to collect only stool. 

3. Use the spoon or spatula provided to transfer the stool to the specimen container or cup that was given to you. 

4. Close the container once it&#;s about half full. This will keep the contents sterile (clean) to make sure the stool doesn&#;t get contaminated.

5. Always remember to wash your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom.

How do you store a stool sample? 

Once you have transferred the stool to the specimen cup and sealed the container, you&#;re ready for storage. If your kit came with a plastic bag, place the container in the bag and seal it. If you didn&#;t get a bag, you can use a resealable bag and seal it.

In general, the earlier you submit your stool to the lab or hospital, the better. This is to ensure that the test results are accurate. 

If you&#;re not returning your stool sample immediately, you&#;ll have to store it in a refrigerator. Your healthcare provider should tell you how long your stool can be stored in a refrigerator before it&#;s returned. If you&#;re storing the specimen in the refrigerator, make sure it&#;s in a sealed bag and as far away from food as possible. 

How do you take a stool sample if you can&#;t poop? 

It can be difficult to poop on demand, especially if you&#;re constipated. If you can&#;t poop for your stool sample, try eating some fiber. Increasing your fiber to 25 g to 35 g per day will improve any constipation. Many foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans are high in fiber.

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Dehydration can also make it hard to poop. Try increasing how much water you drink to help soften your stools. There&#;s no hard-and-fast rule on how much water you need each day. Your healthcare provider can help you figure out how much you need to be drinking.

If these dietary changes don&#;t help you poop, talk with your healthcare provider about suggestions for providing a stool sample.

Who needs to collect a stool sample?

There are many medical conditions that can require a stool sample. If your healthcare provider is worried about infection or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), they may order a stool sample. 

Talk with your healthcare provider about the need to have your stool tested if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Crampy abdominal pain

• Blood in your stools (bright red blood)

• Black stools

• Mucus in your stools

• Bloating

• Excessive belching

• Watery diarrhea

• Anal itching

What tests are done on a stool sample?

In general, stool samples can help your healthcare provider run tests to look for infectious or inflammatory conditions, or signs of colon cancer. Common stool sample tests include:

• Fecal occult blood or fecal immunochemical test (to screen for blood in the stool from conditions like colon cancer, polyps, or IBD)

• Helicobacter pylori (to look for the common ulcer-causing bacteria)

• Clostridioides difficile (C. diff)

• Stool culture (looking for any other bacteria present)

• Parasite testing 

• Fecal fat testing (to look for extra fat in the stool that wasn&#;t absorbed)

The bottom line

If you&#;ve been asked to submit a stool sample, don&#;t worry. You&#;ll receive a kit with everything you need to collect your poop so it&#;s not complicated. Try to avoid any type of contamination of your specimen by keeping everything (except stool) out of the sterile container. The sooner you turn your specimen into the lab, the better and more accurate your results will be. Stool sample tests can help your healthcare provider make better decisions about your diagnosis or care. Talk with your healthcare provider if you have any questions about the need for a stool sample.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Valerie Emuakhagbon, MD

Valerie Emuakhagbon, MD, is a board-certified colorectal surgeon. A native of Dallas, Texas, she completed the six-year BA/MD program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

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