Reducing Substances- Stool

Stomach

Report in 6Hrs

At Home

No Fasting Required

Details

Detects the presence of reducing sugars (such as glucose, fructose, lactose) in the stool

₹249₹375

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Reducing Substances - Stool Test Information Guide

Why is it done?
- Detects the presence of reducing sugars (such as glucose, fructose, and galactose) in stool samples
- Evaluates for malabsorption disorders, particularly carbohydrate malabsorption and disaccharidase deficiencies
- Investigates chronic diarrhea in infants and young children to identify lactose intolerance or other carbohydrate absorption problems
- Screens for primary or secondary lactase deficiency and other disaccharidase deficiencies
- Evaluates failure to thrive or poor weight gain in infants and young children related to feeding
- Typically performed as part of initial workup for unexplained diarrhea in pediatric populations
Normal Range
- Normal Result: Negative or No reducing substances detected
- Reference Range: 0 to trace amounts (less than 0.25 g/dL or <1.4 mmol/L)
- Units of Measurement: Grams per deciliter (g/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L); may also be reported qualitatively (negative, trace, 1+, 2+, 3+, 4+)
- Interpretation of Normal Results: Indicates normal carbohydrate absorption and adequate disaccharidase enzyme activity; no significant malabsorption of sugars
- Abnormal Results: Positive or increased levels (trace to 4+) indicate presence of unabsorbed reducing sugars in stool
Interpretation
- Negative/Normal Result: No reducing substances detected; suggests normal carbohydrate digestion and absorption; lactose intolerance unlikely if disaccharide malabsorption is suspected
- Trace to 1+ Positive: Mild elevation; may indicate borderline carbohydrate malabsorption; requires correlation with clinical symptoms and dietary history; may warrant dietary trial or additional testing
- 2+ to 3+ Positive: Moderate elevation; suggestive of significant carbohydrate malabsorption; consistent with disaccharidase deficiency such as lactose intolerance; dietary modifications often recommended
- 4+ Positive: Marked elevation; indicates substantial unabsorbed reducing sugars; highly suggestive of significant carbohydrate malabsorption disorder; strong correlation with lactose intolerance or multiple disaccharidase deficiencies
- Factors Affecting Results: Timing of sample collection in relation to food intake (high reducing substance diet before test); recent antibiotic use affecting intestinal flora; age of patient; presence of other gastrointestinal conditions; bacterial overgrowth in intestines; medication use affecting motility
- Clinical Significance: Positive results correlate with osmotic diarrhea caused by unabsorbed carbohydrates; helps differentiate between osmotic and secretory diarrhea; important in diagnosing primary and secondary disaccharidase deficiencies; can guide dietary management and formula changes in infants; findings support need for hydrogen breath testing or other confirmatory testing
Associated Organs
- Primary Organ Systems: Small intestine (particularly duodenum and jejunum where most carbohydrate digestion occurs); brush border epithelium where disaccharidase enzymes are located; colon
- Associated Conditions: Lactose intolerance (primary and secondary); sucrase-isomaltase deficiency; trehalose intolerance; maltase deficiency; celiac disease; tropical sprue; cystic fibrosis; short bowel syndrome; Crohn's disease; small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO); acute gastroenteritis with mucosal damage
- Diseases Diagnosed/Monitored: Primary carbohydrate malabsorption disorders; secondary lactase deficiency following viral or bacterial gastroenteritis; inflammatory bowel disease affecting carbohydrate absorption; pancreatic insufficiency affecting carbohydrate digestion; celiac disease presenting with diarrhea
- Potential Complications: Chronic diarrhea leading to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances; malnutrition and growth failure in children if undiagnosed; increased intestinal permeability from repeated inflammatory episodes; secondary bacterial overgrowth from altered intestinal pH and motility
Follow-up Tests
- Confirmatory Testing: Hydrogen breath test (gold standard for diagnosing disaccharidase deficiency); lactose tolerance test; dietary trial elimination (lactose-free or specific carbohydrate diet); genetic testing for congenital disaccharidase deficiencies
- Additional Investigations: Stool examination for fat (72-hour fecal fat test) to evaluate for steatorrhea; stool culture and sensitivity if infectious diarrhea suspected; complete blood count and metabolic panel to assess nutritional status; tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies if celiac disease suspected; fecal chymotrypsin to assess pancreatic function
- Monitoring Recommendations: Retest may be performed after dietary modifications to assess effectiveness; serial testing in infants undergoing formula changes; follow-up assessment following acute gastroenteritis to determine if secondary lactase deficiency resolves (typically 2-4 weeks after acute infection)
- Complementary Testing: Osmotic gap calculation from stool electrolytes; stool pH (acidic in carbohydrate malabsorption); upper endoscopy with duodenal biopsy to assess brush border enzyme activity directly; small bowel imaging if structural abnormalities suspected
Fasting Required?
- Fasting Requirement: No fasting required for this test
- Dietary Considerations: Patient should continue normal diet for 24 hours prior to collection (NOT on a restricted diet); consuming foods containing reducing sugars (fruits, juices, milk products) within 24 hours before collection may increase test sensitivity; stool sample should be collected in container without preservatives unless specifically directed by laboratory
- Medication Instructions: Continue all regular medications as prescribed; avoid antimotility agents (loperamide, diphenoxylate) for 48 hours prior to testing as they reduce stool water content; inform laboratory of recent antibiotic use which may affect results; maintain normal medication schedule for all other drugs
- Specimen Collection Instructions: Collect fresh stool sample in clean, dry container (typically 5-10 grams or approximately 5 milliliters); avoid contamination with urine, toilet paper, or water; sample should be submitted promptly (within 2 hours of collection); refrigerate if transportation to laboratory is delayed; clearly label specimen with patient name, date, and time of collection
- Other Preparations: No special bowel preparation needed; inform healthcare provider of any recent diarrheal illnesses or antibiotic use; note any symptoms of diarrhea and approximate duration for clinical context; patient education regarding normal diet consumption before testing is important for accurate results

How our test process works!