NHA Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA)Clinical Patient CareEasy
A medical assistant is reinforcing teaching with a patient about collecting a stool sample for ova and parasites (O&P) testing. Which of the following instructions should the MA provide?
- AAvoid contaminating the sample with urine or toilet water.
- BCollect only a pea-sized amount of stool.
- CRefrigerate the sample immediately after collection.
- DCollect the sample in a sterile urine cup.
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Avoid contaminating the sample with urine or toilet water.
Contamination with urine or water can dilute the sample and destroy parasites, making accurate diagnosis difficult. Patients should be instructed to collect the sample directly into a clean container provided by the clinic.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A sufficient amount of stool is usually required for proper testing, often a walnut-sized portion or more, not just a pea-sized amount.
- C. While some labs may require refrigeration, the primary instruction for collection is to avoid contamination, and some samples may require preservatives at room temperature.
- D. Stool samples for O&P require a specific container, not a urine cup, and sterility is not the primary concern for this type of sample.
Stool Sample Collection (O&P)
The process of collecting a patient's fecal matter for laboratory analysis to detect the presence of parasitic eggs (ova) or adult parasites.
- Avoid contamination with urine or water.
- Use a clean, dry container.
- Collect adequate sample size.
Memory trick: Stool samples need a 'Clean Stream' to find the 'Parasite Team'.