This information explains how to collect a stool (poop) sample for a Helicobacter pylori test.
Follow these instructions carefully when you collect your stool sample. This will help make sure the laboratory can test your sample. If they can’t test your sample, you’ll need to collect a new one.
A member of your care team will give you a stool collection tube and bag.
Instructions
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Gather your supplies. You’ll need:
- A pen.
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A stool collection tube. The tube will have liquid inside. It will also have a collection spoon built into the lid (see Figure 1).
Figure 1. A stool collection tube
- A biohazard bag
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A clean, dry container to catch your stool. If you’re in the hospital, a member of your care team will give you a bedpan (see Figure 2). If you’re at home, use a large plastic bag placed in a trash bin, a plastic tub (such as a margarine tub), a wide-mouth jar, or a milk carton with the top cut off (see Figure 3).
Figure 2. A bedpan
Figure 3. Examples of clean, dry containers you can use at home
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Pass your stool into the clean, dry container.
- Don’t pass your stool into the toilet or the collection tube.
- Don’t urinate (pee) on your stool or in the container.
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Open the collection tube. Using the spoon built into the lid, place small scoops of stool into the tube (see Figure 4). Fill it until the liquid reaches the red line (see Figure 5).
- If any areas of your stool look bloody, slimy, or watery, take samples from those areas.
- If your stool is solid, take samples from each end and the middle.
Figure 4. Place small scoops of stool into the tube
Figure 5. Stool and liquid at the red line
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Use the collection spoon to mix the stool and liquid together (see Figure 6).
Figure 6. Mix the stool and liquid together
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Twist the cap tightly closed (see Figure 7). Shake the tube forcefully until the stool and liquid are mixed together (see Figure 8).
Figure 7. Cap the tube tightly
Figure 8. Shake the tube well
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Fill out the label on the tube (see Figure 9).
- Write your full name, the date, and the time.
- If you’re at home, write your birth date on the “I.D. Number” line. If you’re in the hospital, a member of your care team will write your medical record number (MRN) on this line.
- You don’t need to check any boxes in the “Specimen Consistency” area of the label.
Figure 9. Fill out the label on the tube
- Put the tube inside the biohazard bag. Seal the bag.
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Clean your hands well.
- If you’re washing your hands with soap and water, wet your hands and apply soap. Rub your hands together for 15 to 20 seconds, then rinse.
- If you’re using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, be sure to cover all parts of your hands with it. Rub your hands together until they’re dry.
Store your sample at room temperature. Bring it to your healthcare provider or laboratory as soon as you can. Don’t wait longer than 24 hours (1 day) after you collect the sample. Follow your healthcare provider’s instructions for where to bring it.