Collecting a stool sample
Content date: 13 November 2026
The container, amount and storage depend on the test. Use the kit supplied by your laboratory and follow its instructions; a FIT tube differs from a standard stool pot.
Your next step
Check the test name, container and return deadline. Ask the laboratory how to store the sample if you cannot deliver it immediately.
Get urgent help: Do not wait for a sample or result if there is heavy bleeding, black tarry stool, severe pain, repeated vomiting or severe dehydration such as fainting or markedly reduced urine.
Which sample was requested?
| Test | What is it for? | What differs in collection? |
|---|---|---|
| FIT: blood in stool | Detects small amounts of blood; a positive result alone does not diagnose cancer. | Use the supplied stick and tube; do not fill it like a stool pot. |
| Calprotectin | Helps assess bowel inflammation; it is not a diagnosis by itself. | Follow laboratory instructions and tell the team about your medicines. |
| Infection tests | Look for infections specified on the request. | The container, additives and number of specimens may differ. |
| H. pylori antigen | Detects active infection or helps check for cure. | Agree on timing and a medicine plan; early testing and some medicines can affect the result. |
Before collecting
- Check your name on the label, the requested test and the correct container. Different tests may need separate containers.
- Do not stop medicines or change your diet simply to collect a sample. Ask about test-specific instructions, especially for H. pylori.
Collection steps
- Pass urine first if needed, then catch the stool in a clean, dry receptacle suitable for the laboratory’s instructions.
- Keep the sample away from toilet water, urine and cleaning products. Do not collect it directly from toilet water.
- Transfer only the amount specified for your kit. Use a FIT sampling tube as instructed; do not fill it with stool.
- Close the container securely, record collection date and time as requested, place it in its bag and wash your hands.
Storage and delivery
- Return it as promptly as the laboratory instructs. If delayed, ask how to store it and the time limit for that test.
- There is no universal rule to refrigerate every sample or keep it for 24 hours; instructions depend on the container and test. Do not empty any substance supplied inside the container.
Understanding the result
- The result helps your clinician alongside symptoms and other tests. A normal result does not exclude every cause, and an abnormal result does not always establish the diagnosis alone.
- For an H. pylori test of cure, follow the timing and medicine plan agreed with your team. See the related H. pylori guide below.
- Record when to expect the result and who will explain it. Do not assume no contact means everything is normal.
When to get help
Do not wait for a sample or result if there is heavy bleeding, black tarry stool, severe pain, repeated vomiting or severe dehydration such as fainting or markedly reduced urine.
Ask the laboratory if the right container is missing, the sample is contaminated, or storage instructions and the required amount are unclear.