Stool Tests

Diarrhea that will not go away, stomach pain, gas, blood in your stool or a child who is not gaining weight: very often the answer is in a stool test. At Clínica Hispana Nueva Salud La Porte we process it in our lab, explain the result in Spanish or English and give you treatment in the same clinic.

Types of stool tests we perform

• Ova and parasite exam: looks for parasites and their eggs, such as giardia, amoebas, roundworms and pinworms; a series of three samples from different days is recommended for better accuracy
• Stool culture: identifies bacteria that cause infectious diarrhea, such as salmonella, shigella, campylobacter and E. coli
• Fecal occult blood: detects bleeding not visible to the naked eye, useful with unexplained anemia or as screening from age 45
• General stool exam: consistency, mucus, undigested food and fat, which point to malabsorption
• Helicobacter pylori stool antigen: the bacterium linked to gastritis and ulcers, without needing an endoscopy

How to collect the sample

We give you a sterile container with instructions. Have the bowel movement onto clean paper or a dry container, without the sample touching toilet water or urine, and use the container's scoop to take a walnut-sized portion, including any parts with mucus or blood. Bring it the same day, ideally within 2 hours; if you cannot, keep it in the refrigerator, never the freezer. For the parasite series, collect one sample per day for three days.

Let us know if you took antibiotics, anti-diarrheals, laxatives or antacids in the last two weeks, because they can affect the result.

When to request it

• Diarrhea lasting more than 3 days, or of any length if there is fever or blood
• Recurring abdominal pain, bloating or excessive gas
• Anal itching at night, typical of pinworms in children
• Unexplained weight loss or anemia
• After a trip or after eating something spoiled
• A parasite check for the family, especially with small children or pets at home

Results and treatment

The general exam and parasite exam are usually ready in 24 to 48 hours; the stool culture takes 2 to 3 days. The physician reviews the result with you and, if there are parasites or bacteria, gives you treatment for yourself and, when appropriate, for the whole family, available at our pharmacy. If the cause looks like an intolerance, irritable bowel or something that needs broader studies, we complete the workup with blood work or an abdominal ultrasound and refer you if needed.

If the diarrhea comes with vomiting and you cannot keep fluids down, we can also rehydrate you with an IV drip at the clinic.

Stool testing in La Porte, no appointment needed

Our medical center is at 9606 Spencer Hwy Ste D, La Porte, TX 77571, on Spencer Hwy, open Monday to Saturday from 9 AM to 9 PM and Sunday from 9 AM to 7 PM. You can pick up the container one day and bring the sample the next, with no appointment. No health insurance needed; the price is flat and we confirm it by phone. We serve families from La Porte, Deer Park, Pasadena, Shoreacres, Morgan's Point and the greater Houston area.