Quantitative Fecal Fat Test
Quantitative fecal fat tests measure and report an amount of fat. This usually done over a period of three days, the patient collecting all of their feces into a container.
The container is thoroughly mixed to homogenize the feces, this can be done with a paint mixer. A small sample from the feces is collected. The fat content is extracted with solvents and measured by saponification (turning the fat into soap).
Normally up to 7 grams of fat can be malabsorbed in people consuming 100 grams of fat per day. In patients with diarrhea, up to 12 grams of fat may be malabsorbed since the presence of diarrhea interferes with fat absorption, even when the diarrhea is not due to fat malabsorption.
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