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Test Code STL STOOL CULTURE

Important Note

The Laboratory will accept up to 3 specimens per patient. Additional specimens usually add no value and should not be submitted without prior consultation with the Microbiology Department.

For inpatients, specimens should not be submitted after the fourth day of hospitalization without prior consultation with the Microbiology Department.

  • Consult Laboratory to order this test.
  • A specimen source is required

Methodology

Conventional Culture Technique

 

Useful for detecting the following enteric pathogens: Campylobacter, Aeromonas, Salmonella, Shigella, and Yersinia. 

Specimen Requirements

 

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

 

Preferred: STOOL

 

Unpreserved Specimen must arrive within 2 hours of collection.

 

Container/Tube: Tightly-sealing, leakproof container(s), sterile container(s), #6004913, Cary-Blair preservative container

Specimen Volume: Walnut-sized portion of fresh, unpreserved liquid or soft stool; enough to fill Cary-Blair vial to the fill line

Collection Instructions:

  1. Collect fresh, unpreserved liquid or soft stool.
  2. If specimen is collected in a bedpan or collection “hat”, patient should urinate into another container before collecting stool specimen.
  3. Those portions of stool containing blood and mucus are especially significant and should be transferred into container. Fill Cary-Blair container to the indicated red fil line.
  4. Label container with patient’s legal name, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.
  5. Refrigerate specimen after collection.

 

Alternate: RECTUM

 

Container/Tube: Swab transport tube(s)
Specimen Volume: Entire specimen
Collection Instructions: Obtain specimen using a culture swab as follows:

  1. Carefully insert large culture swab approximately 1 inch beyond anal sphincter.
  2. Gently rotate swab to sample anal crypts. Feces should be evident on swab.
  3. Insert swab into moist sponge in swab container to preserve specimen.
  4. Label container with patient’s legal name, date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

Specimen Rejection

Note:

  1. Do not collect specimen from toilet.
  2. Specimen in diaper is not acceptable. Stool material should be scraped into a clean, dry container. Pediatric patients with severe diarrhea may use a U-Bag collection system. Place U-Bag over urethra to prevent urine from contaminating specimen.

Stool:

  • >2 hours old
  • Contaminated with water or urine
  • Improperly filled Cary-Blair vial

Rectum:

  • Swab >2 hours old will not be tested 

Day(s) Test Set Up

Monday through Friday

Specimen Stability

Ambient/Refrigerate/Frozen NO

Cary Blair preserved stool is stable for up to 96 hours at ambient or refrigerated temperatures

Reference Values

Negative for Campylobacter, Aeromonas, Salmonella, Shigella, or Yersinia

Critical value (automatic call-back): positive for Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, or Yersinia

All positive results will be reported to the City/County Health Nurse per Montana state law.

Performing Laboratory

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Test Classification and CPT Coding

87045-Culture

87076-Anaerobic identification, each (if appropriate)

87077-Aerobic identification, each (if appropriate)

87184-Kirby-Bauer, each (if appropriate)

87186-MIC, each (if appropriate)