MEDICAL PROCEDURES
Stool Acidity Test
What is a stool acidity test?
The stool acidity test is a method of detecting lactose intolerance in children.
What is lactose intolerance and how does testing for this condition differ in adults?
The inability to digest the sugar lactose in the diet is referred to as lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance in adults can be detected by using the lactose tolerance test or the hydrogen breath test. The lactose tolerance and hydrogen breath tests are not given to infants and very young children who are suspected of having lactose intolerance. Instead, the stool acidity test is used.
The large lactose doses that are used in the lactose tolerance and hydrogen breath tests may be dangerous because infants and children are more prone than adults to dehydration from the diarrhea sometimes caused by the lactose. Thus, as mentioned, the stool acidity test is preferred in infants and younger children. How does the stool acidity test work?
Bacteria in the colon produce not only hydrogen gas from lactose but also lactic and other acids that can be detected in stool. The stool acidity test measures the acidity of a sample of stool following the ingestion of a small dose of lactose. In addition, glucose may be present in the stool sample as a result of unabsorbed lactose in the colon.
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