Analysis of feces for enterobiasis: how the procedure is performed correctly

2023 Author: Alfred Shackley | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-05-21 13:14

Enterobiasis is a disease caused by pinworms. Pinworms are the most common type of helminths or worms. It manifests itself in rather unpleasant symptoms: itching of the anus at night, reddening of the skin around the anus, disruption of the gastrointestinal tract.

Outwardly, pinworms have an oblong appearance, one side of which is pointed (hence the name), and the other is rounded. The color is varied - from white to dark brown. The length of adults does not exceed one centimeter.

It is possible to diagnose the disease caused by these worms when taking a feces test for an ovarian leaf. This procedure is painless, so adults and children can easily tolerate it.

Analysis of feces for enterobiasis: reasons for delivery and deciphering the result

What can the purpose of such a procedure indicate?

There are two options:

• suspicion of enterobiasis;
• tolerance.

The clearance is a preventive measure for obtaining a permit to enter the pool or when applying for a job. Also, an analysis for an ovarian leaf is prescribed during the annual preventive examination at some organizations.

Such scraping is mandatory for kindergarten teachers, teachers, doctors, food industry workers.

As for the suspicion of enterobiasis, in this case, scraping is prescribed for children and adults if there are appropriate symptoms. In children, signs of enterobiasis appear at night.

During this period of the day, the female pinworm crawls out along the rectum and lays eggs in the perianal folds of the skin, where she dies. Even in the evening, you can observe anxiety, moodiness in the child. At night, a sick child often wakes up, cries, grinds his teeth, turns.

A sick person does not go to the toilet well. He has frequent constipation or, conversely, diarrhea, as well as bloating.

Boys, when infected, are often infatuated with their genitals. For girls, the situation is even worse. Adults can penetrate the vagina. As a result, inflammation develops in the genital tract.

Sometimes helminths can be detected with the naked eye near the anus or found on bedding. In this case, it is said about unconditional infection.

It is very easy to get infected with enterobiasis. Moreover, there are groups of children with a 100% diagnosis in all. To receive such a “gift” it is enough not to wash your hands or eat a dirty apple. Children can accidentally touch the crotch with dirty hands and become infected. Or touch yourself in the crotch and pull your hands into your mouth after a while. Thus, self-infection occurs in a circle.

If scraping determines enterobiasis, the sick person is prescribed appropriate treatment and compliance with preventive measures.

However, a negative result is not always the final diagnosis. This must be understood by both the doctor and the patient. The fact is that the female pinworm does not lay eggs every night. This moment must be caught. Children are best tested when they have had a sleepless or restless night. Most likely, the female pinworm laid eggs on this day. As for the delivery of the scraping for admission, it is enough to carry out one such procedure, unless, of course, the examined person has no complaints.

If the analysis is negative, with a clear suspicion of enterobiasis, several more tests are carried out within one to two weeks. In some cases, treatment is prescribed even without a confirmatory diagnosis, as in the case of the detection of helminths on bed linen, in feces, or with pronounced symptoms.

How is the analysis of feces for enterobiasis

There are two ways to test for pinworm eggs in feces:

• In the first case, it is carried out using an ordinary cotton swab or a match with a rolled piece of cotton wool. The stick should be pre-moistened in boiled water or saline and gently run it along the perianal folds. Put the collected material in a special jar for collecting urine and deliver it to the laboratory. A container for these purposes is purchased at a pharmacy;
• The second option will require a special glass, which can be taken from the laboratory or bought at the pharmacy, as well as a piece of adhesive tape. Adhesive tape is first applied to the folds of the skin of the anus, and then glued to the degreased clean glass and taken to the laboratory in this form.

As mentioned above, the procedure may have to be repeated if enterobiasis is suspected several times.

Preparing for the test for enterobiasis

Are there any rules for taking a stool test or scraping can be done anywhere and at any time? Of course, there are rules and they must be followed exactly. This does not require you to follow any diet or perform other complex activities.

If the procedure is carried out for a child, then it is advisable to catch the moment of a restless night. In the morning, while the baby is still asleep, gently scrape. The child should never be washed or allowed to go to the toilet. Without delay, take the assembly material to the laboratory for analysis. You only have two hours to do this. The result can be obtained on the same day.

In an adult man, scraping is taken in a similar way: as soon as the patient woke up and did not have time to go to the toilet. These rules also apply to women, the analysis is taken even before morning urination and defecation by the methods described above.

Otherwise, you can wipe or wash off the helminth eggs and the procedure will have to be repeated several more times. It is best to prepare all the necessary materials for the procedure in the evening, so that the scraping can be done literally without getting out of bed. Before taking the scraping to the laboratory, it is best to put it in the refrigerator.

Three scrapings are recommended to obtain reliable results. If you have suspicions of enterobiasis, then you can seek help from a therapist or infectious disease specialist, if we are talking about an adult. As for the small patient, he should be shown to a pediatrician or pediatric infectious disease specialist. The doctor will issue a referral for analysis and, if it is positive, will prescribe anthelmintic treatment.

In order to prevent re-infection with enterobiasis in the future, hygiene should be monitored. After the street, be sure to wash your hands, iron bed and underwear with an iron, wash vegetables, fruits and herbs thoroughly. In kindergartens and schools for these purposes, preventive tests are provided after the summer holidays or a long absence of the child.

Remember that the analysis of feces for oviduct with enterobiasis is a prerequisite for the diagnosis.

If the doctor insists on such a procedure, you should not refuse, otherwise the disease can be brought to an extreme point, that is, to unconditional infection with enterobiasis, when pinworms are found without scraping. In this case, it is said about a large number of helminths, which will be difficult to get rid of.