Fecal pH test
 | This articleappears to contradict the articleHuman feces.(February 2024) |
| Fecal pH test | |
|---|---|
| Synonyms | faecal pH test, stool acidity test |
| LOINC | 2755-7 |
Afecal pH testis one where a specimen offecesis tested foracidityin order to diagnose a medical condition. The pH of human feces is variable but usuallyalkaline.[1]An acidic stool can indicate a digestive problem such aslactose intolerance,[1]an infection such asE. coliorrotavirus,or overgrowth of acid-producing bacteria (such aslactic acid bacteria).
The average pH for a healthy person is 6.6.[2]
Test procedure
[edit]The test is fast and can be performed in a doctor's office. A patient must not be receiving antibiotics. At least half a milliliter of feces is collected, and a strip ofnitrazinepaper is dipped in the sample and compared against a color scale. A pH of less than 5.5 indicates an acidic sample.[3]
Results
[edit]Unhealthy individuals with a higher or lower pH rate have been observed having a higher mortality rate. A high alkaline pH rating is associated with the body's inability to create enough acid along with undigested food.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ab"Point-of-Care Testing, Fecal pH Measurement".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-07-03.Retrieved2007-02-07.
- ^"010991: Stool pH".Health Matters.Retrieved2023-07-06.
- ^"eMedicine - Gastroenteritis, Bacterial: Article by Jennifer Lynn Bonheur, MD".13 June 2023.
- ^Osuka A, Shimizu K, Ogura H, Tasaki O, Hamasaki T, Asahara T, Nomoto K, Morotomi M, Kuwagata Y, Shimazu T (July 2012)."Prognostic impact of fecal pH in critically ill patients".Critical Care.16(4): R119.doi:10.1186/cc11413.PMC3580696.PMID22776285.
