Introduction: Gastroenteritis is endemic in many countries. Intravenous antibiotic therapy is a challenge due to difficulties of outpatient diagnosis and laboratory evaluation. This study is about the ...

A digital rectal examination (DRE) is a simple procedure doctors use to examine the lower rectum and other internal organs. A DRE is done for a number of reasons. It’s a quick, easy way to check the ...

Carley Millhone is a writer and editor based in the Midwest who covers health, women's wellness, and travel. Her work has appeared in publications like SELF, Greatist, and PureWow. Jay N. Yepuri, MD, ...

A fecal lactoferrin test can detect intestinal inflammation. High lactoferrin levels in stool suggest that inflammation is present. This may indicate a bacterial infection or inflammatory bowel ...

Lindsay Curtis is a health & medical writer in South Florida. She worked as a communications professional for health nonprofits and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of ...

A fecal fat test measures the amount of fat in a person’s stool. The test assesses the digestive function and absorption of fat in the gastrointestinal tract. Several medical conditions cause poor fat ...

Cholera can be diagnosed with the help of detailed patient history and stool examination. A patient history of watery stools especially during an epidemic should raise the suspicion of cholera. Dark ...

In this Journal feature, information about a real patient is presented in stages (boldface type) to an expert clinician, who responds to the information, sharing his or her reasoning with the reader ...

People are obsessed with poop. Why does it float? Why do its colors and consistencies vary, and is that normal? (Here are 7 things your poop says about you.) People want to know it all—and now, some ...