What tests should be done to identify worms?
Tests for worms should be performed regularly to identify the disease in a timely manner. The most famous of these is the analysis of feces, which is done before getting a job or going to a sanatorium, but this is not the only or the most reliable way to identify parasites. The most accurate answer will be given by a combination of tests.
What tests exist for worms
The list of tests that must be done to identify parasites is very long.
The main ones are:
- Stool analysis, also known as worm eggs, is the most common method. Advantages - massive use, without the need for complex equipment. Less - lack of precision;
- ELISA, also known as a blood test for worms. Pros - high accuracy. Cons - reveals only a few stages of development of the parasite, on other occasions, the result will be questionable;
- Analysis of other biological media (urine, sputum, duodenal content, epidermis). Pros - they allow you to identify parasites in locations that are inaccessible for further analysis. Cons - associated with significant inconvenience to the patient.
Usually, a patient is prescribed a combination of several tests to identify the parasite. The recovery criterion is considered a negative ELISA result and several negative results from studying the biological environment where the worms were detected.
Stool analysis for worm eggs
Most worms live in the intestines, so the most common test for worms is stool examination. It is prescribed for routine medical examinations for adults and children, before being referred to a sanatorium or children's camp, as part of a health book, during hospitalization. In addition, this analysis is done by people who have been in contact with infected patients, who have eaten untested food, who have noticed characteristic symptoms of worms.
There is no need for special preparation for the analysis, you can collect feces at any time of the day, but the most indicative are the morning feces. Immediately before delivery, the perineum must be washed to avoid impurities in the urine and secretion of Organs genitals.
The feces for worms analysis are collected in a special container. It is sealed and a special spoon is attached to collect the material. To collect the most informative part of the material, it is necessary to take a sample from the middle of a portion of the stool. The container should be filled with about one third. You need to deliver to the lab the same day.
In the laboratory, a specialist examines feces under a microscope and identifies the worm eggs. Most of them have a characteristic shape that allows you to accurately determine the type of worm. Based on the results of the analysis, a conclusion is reached on the absence of eggs or on their presence and type, after which treatment is prescribed.
This is the most common, but least accurate, worm test. The reason is that there may be no eggs in the portion that entered the container, even though there are worms. Therefore, if the patient complains of characteristic symptoms or has come into contact with the source of infection, he should undergo 5-6 exams every 2-3 days. In this case, the probability of detecting parasites increases significantly. Along with the study of feces, other diagnostic procedures are prescribed.
Skin scraping
This analysis usually complements the stool analysis. The most accurate result is obtained in the diagnosis of moths that lay eggs on the surface of the skin near the anus. The indications for such analysis are routine examinations in children and adults, registration of a child in a kindergarten, school, camp or sanatorium, hospitalization of children and adults, suspicion of moth infection (itchy anus, digestive disorders, contactwith sick people). Most of the time, children suffer from this disease, which explains the name of the worm (infantile moth).
There is no need to prepare for the analysis of worms, you should not wash the perineum - so it is possible to wash the parasites' eggs, it is necessary to avoid bathing or showering the night before. The analysis is done in the morning. A special film is used to collect the material from the skin of the intergluteal fold. The study is also carried out under a microscope. It does not detect other helminthiasis, except pinworms.
Urinalysis
This test is the least prescribed, as parasites almost never live in the urine. Situations are possible when the pinworms are found in the urine analysis, but this indicates a violation of the rules for passing the analysis - the parasites and their eggs enter the container through the skin of the perineum. Most of the time, this situation occurs in girls, less often in boys.
But there are still indications for testing. Some tropical parasites live in the kidneys and urinary organs, which a person is "rewarded" with for a trip to Asian and African resorts. With the increase in the availability of exotic leisure areas, the spread of unusual parasites in our country also grows. For this reason, it is advisable to have a urine and blood test for worms after a trip to the resorts.
Types of worms found in urine:
- Trichomonas;
- Distomum haematobium;
- Filaria sanguinis hominis;
- Taqnia echinococcus.
Also in the urine there may be eggs of liver parasites - echinococci and worms.
Sputum analysis
There are several parasites that spend all or part of their lives in the lungs. The appearance of symptoms is not characteristic - catarrhal phenomena develop in the bronchi (inflammation, cough, wheezing). Hemoptysis, pneumonia of unknown origin and other pulmonary phenomena can be observed.
Parasites detected by the sputum worm test:
- Ascaris - in the larval phase, they need oxygen;
- Echinococci and alveococci - parasites of tissues that live in parenchymal organs, including the lungs;
- Dwarf hawk - lives mainly in the lungs;
- Strongyloidosis, not katorosis - parasitosis, which are characterized by intestinal localization, the location in the lungs is considered atypical.
For sputum collection, no special preparation is necessary, but it is advisable to brush your teeth and remove the material in the morning. Before that, it is useful to drink plenty of fluids - this improves sputum sputum. The collection container must be clean, but not necessarily sterile - bacteria do not play a role in diagnosis. In this case, the parasites themselves and their eggs are detected. If the patient is unable to cough, the sputum is removed from the trachea using vacuum suction.
It is possible to use drugs that improve sputum discharge, stimulate their formation to obtain more accurate results from the analysis of worms. In combination with a blood test for worms, it provides very accurate results. Unlike the stool test, eggs are more likely to be found.
Blood test
ELISA, or blood test for worms - the most accurate method for its determination. Helminths cause a powerful immune system reaction - the content of eosinophilic leukocytes increases, the production of immunoglobulins increases and specific antibodies to parasites appear. It is in its detection that the ELISA method is built.
Antibodies against parasites are extremely specific - they can be diagnosed unequivocally, as long as they are present in the blood only in the presence of parasites and within 3 weeks of their disappearance.
Blood from a vein is needed for analysis. No special training needed. The result can be achieved in two days. The accuracy is close to 100%, the specificity of the antibodies does not allow an erroneous result. The recovery criterion is a negative result one month after treatment.
Analysis of duodenal content
The bile ducts and pancreas open in the duodenum. These organs are frequently affected by echinococcosis and opistorquiasis. The parasites lay eggs, which pass through the ducts to the intestine. The technique of analyzing the contents of the duodenum for worms allows to detect these diseases much more accurately than analyzing feces.
The material is obtained with a duodenal probe on an empty stomach. If the patient has a pronounced vomiting reflex, pain relief is applied. The procedure is quite unpleasant, so it is used only in cases where the results of other tests are doubtful.
When you need to be tested for worms
Worm testing should be performed in the following situations:
- The patient is showing symptoms of helminth infestation;
- The patient was in contact with sources of infestation (sick people, untested products, areas with unfavorable health conditions);
- Confirmation is necessary that the patient is not a source of infection (employment, health records, rest outside the city, hospitalization).
How to test for worms
To do the worms test, you need a referral from your family doctor. Most exams do not require preparation and, if there are nuances, the doctor will explain them when prescribing a study. Indications are required for the doctor to write a reference.
In commercial clinics, you can get tested regardless of the indication. The price varies considerably. The time to obtain the results of the feces and scrapes is about a week, the analysis of urine, sputum, blood is about 2 days, depending on the workload of the laboratory.
Which helminths can be detected using tests
The analysis of worms allows the identification of most types of parasites - intestinal and extra-intestinal forms. The most accurate is a blood test for worms, which allows you to identify the parasite.