CULTURE, FECES

FEC

• Stool Culture
• Fecal Culture

Includes: Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Aeromonas, and Pleisiomonas

Culture for predominant organism or other enteric pathogens such as Yersinia, E. Coli 0157, or Vibrio must be specifically requested since special isolation procedures are required

Note: This culture does not include a gram stain


87045 Culture, bacterial; feces, with isolation and preliminary examination, Salmonella and Shigella species
87046 x2 Culture, bacterial; stool, additional pathogens, isolation and preliminary examination, each plate
The following testing may be added as appropriate based on findings for organism identification.  Please note:  multiple additions are possible if more than one organism is identified.
87046 For each individual additional pathogen
87077 Aerobic isolate, additional methods required for definitive identification of isolates as appropriate
87106 Culture, fungi definitive identification, each organism
 

Para-Pak C&S Vial


Cary-Blair transport media


 

Add enough sample to Para-Pak C&S container so that fluid reaches the red fill line.  DO NOT OVERFILL

Infant rectal swab can be submitted using eSwab

Stool: Specimen should be collected in sterile bedpan, not contaminated with urine, residual soap, or disinfectants. Portions of stool which contain pus, blood, or mucus should be transferred to a sterile specimen container. Rectal swab: Pass swab beyond anal sphincter, carefully rotate, and withdraw. Swabbing of lesions or rectal wall or sigmoid colon during proctoscopy or sigmoidoscopy is preferred. Do not use rectal swabs for detection of carrier state as the sample size is too small. Duodenal or sigmoid aspirate: Specimen should be collected by physician trained in this procedure.

Hospital clients: Supplies can be ordered from the vendor; Catalogue #900612 Item #23205, orange cap, 20 vials per case.

Plastic, leakproof container, Cary-Blair transport vial

Transport specimen to the laboratory as soon as possible. Refrigerate if delay is unavoidable.

Preserved stool: room temperature up to 96 hours; 2-8°C up to 48 hours

The following conditions will result in sample rejection:  Quantity not sufficient; unpreserved samples; sample submitted in a diaper; multiple samples collected on the same day; improperly labeled specimens, specimen contaminated with urine and/or water; leaking container, specimen containing interfering substances such as castor oil, bismuth, barium, Vaseline®, Metamucil®, or other cream contaminants.

M, T, W, Th, F, Sa, Sun

Report TAT is 3-5 days; preliminary report available 24 hours after set up

A stool culture is used to detect the presence of disease-causing bacteria (pathogenic) and help diagnose an infection of the digestive tract. It is often used along with other tests such as an O&P test that detects parasites in the stool and/or Clostridium difficile and C. difficile toxin tests, to help determine the cause of prolonged diarrhea. In establishing the cause, the test can help guide treatment, determining whether antibiotics or other medication may be necessary to resolve symptoms.

Stool cultures on patients hospitalized >= 3 days are not productive and should not be ordered unless special circumstances exist.  If patient's length of stay was >3 days and admitting diagnosis was not gastroenteritis, consider Clostridium Difficile.