Fecal Lipids, Total

Overview

  • EPIC Code:
  • LAB392
  • Soft Test Code:
  • FECL
  • Send Out Test Code:
  • 13217 / 455X
Alternate Names
  • Fecal Fat, Quantitative
  • Fecal Lipids
  • Lipids, Stool Total Quantitative
  • Split Fats
  • Unesterfied Fatty Acids
Clinical Significance

Excessive fat in stool, steatorrhea, is useful in diagnosing patients with malabsorption and maldigestion, e.g., pancreatic failure. In addition, results may be useful in monitoring patients receiving exogenous enzyme therapy and those with chronic diarrhea.


Specimen Collection & Preparation

Patient Preparation

Patient should be on a diet including 100 grams of fat per day for 3 days before collection and during the collection period.


Specimen Requirements:

Clinical Interpretation

Reference Range:

<7 g/24 h


Test Comments:

Specimen weight will be reported with results

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


Methodology:
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)
Clinical Significance

Excessive fat in stool, steatorrhea, is useful in diagnosing patients with malabsorption and maldigestion, e.g., pancreatic failure. In addition, results may be useful in monitoring patients receiving exogenous enzyme therapy and those with chronic diarrhea.


Production Schedule

Sites Performed
  • Quest - Chantilly to San Juan Capistrano
Days Performed
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Departments
  • Sendouts - Clinical
Turn Around Time

1 to 3 days


Coding & Compliance

CDM

00910045


CPT Coding

82710