Fecal Fat, Qualitative

Test Code

FFQ

Preferred Specimen

5 grams or 5 mL of freshly passed, then frozen stool in a clean leak-proof screw-cap plastic container

Patient Preparation
Patient should be on a normal diet which includes fat intake. Patient should not use castor oil, mineral oil, suppositories or barium prior to collection of specimen. Fat substitutes such as Olestra may cause interference and should be avoided.

Minimum Volume

1 gram or 1 mL stool

Instructions

Collect approximately 5 grams of semi-solid to solid stool or approximately 5 mL of liquid stool and transfer to properly labeled leak-proof container. Transport sample frozen.

Transport Container

Clean leak-proof screw-cap plastic container

Transport Temperature

Frozen

Specimen Stability

Room temperature: Unacceptable
Refrigerated: 5 days
Frozen: 30 days

Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)

Thawed specimens • Specimens in transport media or on swabs • Samples submitted in paint cans

Methodology
Microscopic Examination of Sudan III Stained Smear

FDA Status
This test was developed and its analytical performance characteristics have been determined by Quest Diagnostics. It has not been cleared or approved by FDA. This assay has been validated pursuant to the CLIA regulations and is used for clinical purposes.

This test is not available for New York patient testing at Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute-San Juan Capistrano, CA.
Orders for New York patients will be redirected to Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute-Chantilly, VA for testing.

Setup Schedule

Monday-saturday

Report Available

1-2 days

Limitations

Up to 12 grams of fat may be malabsorbed among patients with diarrhea even when the diarrhea is not attributable to fat malabsorption.

Reference Range

See Laboratory Report

Clinical Significance

Results may indicate malabsorption or maldigestion. False positive results can occur due to mineral oil or castor oil present in the specimen. Large number of neutral fat globules may indicate steatorrhea.

The CPT Codes provided in this document are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the payor being billed. Any Profile/panel component may be ordered separately. Reflex tests are performed at an additional charge.