Stool Test For Pinworms

Examination for pinworm only.

Stool test for pinworms.

Your doctor can confirm the presence of pinworms by identifying the worms or eggs. It is transmitted when the female pinworm deposits her eggs in and around the anus. While the infected person sleeps female pinworms lay thousands of eggs in the folds of skin surrounding the anus. How it is transmitted.

This test consists of taking a piece of cellophane tape and pressing the sticky adhesive side against the skin around. Parasitic infections in the united states are rare but can be caused by. A pinworm infection is an intestinal illness that s very common in elementary school aged children. One negative result does not rule out possibility of parasitic infestation.

When you touch the eggs with your fingers the eggs will enter your mouth and travel to your intestines. Found in the colon and rectum the pinworm infection develops from a pinworms egg. As soon as the person you suspect has pinworms wakes up and before he or she uses the toilet washes or gets dressed press the adhesive side of a piece of transparent tape to the skin around. Stool studies for ova and parasites o p continue to be a mainstay of diagnosis despite only low to moderate sensitivity.

Since pinworm eggs and worms are often sparse in stool examining stool samples is not recommended. To help your doctor make a diagnosis you can perform the tape test. Serologic tests are not available for diagnosing pinworm infections. Pinworm infection is the most common type of intestinal worm infection in the united states and one of the most common worldwide.

An infected person who has scratched the anal area may have picked up some pinworm eggs under the nails that could be used for diagnosis. Examinations on multiple days may be required to diagnose infection. Stool specimens are not satisfactory for pinworm studies. A tape test is the most reliable method for diagnosing a pinworm infection.

An abnormal test result means that parasites eggs or both have been found in your stool sample. Pinworms are thin and white measuring about 1 4 to 1 2 inch about 6 to 13 millimeters in length. Any pinworm eggs will stick to the tape which your doctor can see under a microscope in a lab.