Specimen Type:
Fresh whole stool, Rectal swab
Tube Type:
Stool container, or Rectal swab in Eswab transport tube
Collection Volume:
Whole stool (minimum - swab)
Cause for Rejection:
Whole stool specimen contaminated with urine or water or containing barium. Specimens sent to laboratory in diaper, or on wooden stick/tongue depressor, Rectal swab not in transport tube, or dried stool will be rejected. Specimen stored >2 hour at room temperature or stored >24 hours at 2-8 degrees Celsius.
Storage:
Store up to 2 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours refrigerated at 2-8C
Special Instructions:
Send whole fresh stool or rectal swab collected using Eswab may be taken if patient cannot produce stool. Enteric culture screens primarily for Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter and Shiga toxins 1&2 (which includes Ecoli 0157:H7 and other non-0157 STEC serogroups). If physician orders stool screened for Yersinia or Vibrio, these cultures are ordered separately and in addition to Enteric culture. Stool cultures should not be performed on patients after 3 days in the hospital because the isolation of stool pathogens is very low, consistent with the epidemiology of acute bacterial diarrhea.
