what does a stool test show me
The stool culture is a test that detects and identifies bacteria that cause infections of the lower digestive tract. The test distinguishes between the types of bacteria that cause disease (pathogenic) and the types that are normally found in the digestive tract (normal flora). The test helps to determine if pathogenic bacteria are the cause of gastrointestinal symptoms (gastroenteritis). The bacteria found in stool are representative of the bacteria that are present in the gastrointestinal tract. Certain bacteria and fungi called normal flora inhabit everyone's gastrointestinal tract.