A fecal fat test measures the amount of fat in your feces or stool. The concentration of fat in your stool can tell doctors how much fat your body absorbs during digestion. Changes in stool consistency and odor can indicate that your body isn’t absorbing as much as it should.
Also Known as: Qualitative or Quantitative Stool Fat, Stool Lipids, 72 Hour Fecal Fat, Fat Stain Oil Red O, Fecal Qualitative or Quantitative, Fecal Fat
Why Get Tested ?
To detect and measure excess fat in the stool; to help diagnose conditions causing malabsorption
When To Get Tested ?
When you have symptoms of malabsorption, such as persistent diarrhea and fatty stools
Sample Required?
A random stool collection; sometimes a 72-hour stool collection
Test Preparation Needed?
For a 72-hour stool collection, follow the instructions from the lab performing the test or your healthcare practitioner. This may include consuming 50-150 grams of fat a day in your diet for 2-3 days prior to and during the stool collection period.
How is the sample collected for testing?
For a 72-hour stool collection, save all stool during the collection time period in the container(s) provided. It may be collected in a variety of ways, such as on plastic wrap, but should not be contaminated by urine, toilet water, or toilet paper. For a random sample, collect a single specimen in the same fashion.
Normal Value:
2-7 g/24hours
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