End of Chapter Questions: Stool

Question 1

In what part of the digestive tract do pancreatic enzymes and bile salts contribute to digestion?
A. Large intestine
B. Liver
C. Small intestine
D. Stomach

Answer 1

C. Small Intestine

Question 2

Where does the reabsorption of water take place in the primary digestive process?
A. Large intestine
B. Pancreas
C. Small intestine
D. Stomach

Answer 2

A. Large intestine

Question 3

Which of the following tests is not preformed to detect osmotic diarrhea?
A. Clinitest
B. Fecal fats
C. Fecal neutrophils
D. Muscle fibers

Answer 3

C. Fecal neutrophils

Question 4

The normal composition of feces includes all of the following except: 
A. Bacteria
B. Blood
C. Electrolytes
D. Water

Answer 4

B. Blood

Question 5

What is the fecal test that requires a 3 day specimen?
A. Fecal occult blood
B. APT test
C. Elastase I
D. Quantitative fecal fat testing

Answer 5

D. Quantitative fecal fat testing

Question 6

The normal brown color of feces is produced by:
A. Cellulose
B. Pancreatic enzymes
C. Undigested foodstuffs
D. Urobilin

Answer 6

D. Urobilin

Question 7

Diarrhea can result from all of the following except:
A. Addition of pathogenic organisms to the normal
intestinal flora
B. Disruption of the normal intestinal bacterial flora
C. Increased concentration of fecal electrolytes
D. Increased reabsorption of intestinal water and
electrolytes

Answer 7

D. Increased reabsorption of intestinal water and electrolytes

Question 8

Stools from persons with steatorrhea will contain excess amount of:
A. Barium sulfate
B. Blood
C. Fat
D. Mucus

Answer 8

C. Fat

Question 9

Which of the following pairings of stool appearance and cause does not match?
A. Black, tarry: blood
B. Pale, frothy: steatorrhea
C. Yellow-gray: bile duct obstruction
D. Yellow-green: barium sulfate

Answer 9

D. Yellow-green, barium sulfate

Question 10

Stool specimens that appear ribbon-like are indicative of which condition?
A. Bile-duct obstruction
B. Colitis
C. Intestinal constriction
D. Malignancy

Answer 10

C. Intestinal constriction

Question 11

A black, tarry stool is indicative of:
A. Upper GI bleeding
B. Lower GI bleeding
C. Excess fat
D. Excess carbohydrates

Answer 11

A. Upper GI bleeding

Question 12

Chemical screening tests preformed on feces include all of the following except:
A. APT test
B. Clinitest
C. Pilocarpine iontophoresis
D. Quantitative fecal fats

Answer 12

C. Pilocarpine iontophoresis

Question 13

Secretory diarrhea is caused by: 
A. Antibiotic administration
B. Lactose intolerance
C. Celiac sprue
D. Vibrio cholerae

Answer 13

D. vibrio cholerae

Question 14

Fecal osmotic gap is elevated by which disorder?
A. Dumping syndrome
B. Osmotic diarrhea
C. Secretory diarrhea
D. Steatorrhea

Answer 14

B. Osmotic diarrhea

Question 15

Microscopic examination of stools provides preliminary information as to the cause of diarrhea because:
A. Neutrophils are present in conditions caused by
toxin-producing bacteria
B. Neutrophils are present in conditions that affect the
intestinal wall
C. Red and white blood cells are present if the cause is
bacterial
D. Neutrophils are present if the condition is of nonbacterial etiology

Answer 15

B. Neutrophils are present in conditions that affect the intestinal wall

Question 16

T/F: The presence of fecal neutrophils would be expected with diarrhea caused by rotovirus.

Answer 16

False

Question 17

Large orange-red droplets seen on a direct microscope examination of stools mixed with Sudan III represent: 
A. Cholesterol
B. Fatty acids
C. Neutral fats
D. Soaps

Answer 17

C. Neutral fats

Question 18

Microscopic examination of stools mixed with Sudan III and glacial acetic acid and the heated will show small orange-red droplets that represent:
A. Fatty acids and soaps
B. Fatty acids and neutral fats
C. Fatty acids, soaps, and neutral fats
D. Soaps

Answer 18

C. Fatty acids, soaps, and neutral fats

Question 19

When preforming a microscopic stool examination for muscle fibers, the structures that should be counted:
A. Are coiled and stain blue
B. Contain no visible striations
C. Have two-dimensional striations
D. Have vertical striations and stain red

Answer 19

C. Have 2-dimensional striations

Question 20

A value of 85% fat retention would indicate:
A. Dumping syndrome
B. Osmotic diarrhea
C. Secretory diarrhea
D. Steatorrhea

Answer 20

D. Steatorrhea

Question 21

Which of the following tests would not be indicative of steatorrhea?
A. Fecal elastase-I
B. Fecal occult blood
C. Sudan III
D. Van de Kamer

Answer 21

B. Fecal occult blood

Question 22

The term “occult” blood describes blood that:
A. Is produced in the lower GI tract
B. Is produced in the upper GI tract
C. Is not visibly apparent in the stool specimen
D. Produces a black, tarry stool

Answer 22

C. Is not visibly apparent in the stool specimen

Question 23

What is the recommended number of samples that should be tested to confirm a negative occult blood test?
A. One random specimen
B. Two samples taken from different parts of three
stools
C. Three samples taken from the outermost portion of
the stool
D. Three samples taken from different parts of two
stools

Answer 23

B. 2 samples taken from different parts of 3 stools

Question 24

The immunochemical tests for occult blood:
A. Test for human globulin
B. Give false-positive reactions with meat hemoglobin
C. Can give false-positive reactions with aspirin
D. Are inhibited by porphyrin

Answer 24

A. Test for human globin

Question 25

Guaiac tests for detecting occult blood rely on the: A. Reaction of hemoglobin with hydrogen peroxide B. Pseudoperoxidase activity of hemoglobin C. Reaction of hemoglobin with ortho-toluidine D. Pseudoperoxidase activity of hydrogen peroxide

Answer 25

B. Pseudoperoxidase activity of hemoglobin

Question 26

``` What is the significance of an APT test that remains pink after addition of sodium hydroxide? A. Fecal fat is present. B. Fetal hemoglobin is present. C. Fecal trypsin is present. D. Vitamin C is present. ```

Answer 26

B. Fetal hemoglobin is present

Question 27

In the Van de Kamer method for quantitative fecal fat determinations, fecal lipids are: A. Converted to fatty acids prior to titrating with sodium hydroxide B. Homogenized and titrated to a neutral endpoint with sodium hydroxide C. Measured gravimetrically after washing D. Measured by spectrophotometer after addition of Sudan III

Answer 27

A. Converted to fatty acids prior to titrating with sodium hydroxide

Question 28

``` A patient whose stool exhibits increased fats, undigested muscle fibers, and the inability to digest gelatin may have: A. Bacterial dysentery B. A duodenal ulcer C. Cystic fibrosis D. Lactose intolerance ```

Answer 28

C. Cystic fibrosis

Question 29

``` A stool collected from an infant with diarrhea has a pH of 5.0. This result correlates with a: A. Positive APT test B. Negative trypsin test C. Positive Clinitest D. Negative occult blood test ```

Answer 29

C. Positive Clinitest

Question 30

``` Which of the following tests differentiates a malabsorption cause from a maldigestive cause in steatorrhea? A. APT test B. D-xylose test C. Lactose tolerance test D. Occult blood test ```

Answer 30

B. D-Xylose Test