Bacterial Culture, aerobic culture only - Stool

Acceptable specimen: gross stool, feces,  small/large bowel contents, rectal swab (not optimal),
Submit gross stool (feces) and/or bowel contents in plain sterile container. Submit swab in plain Amies transport media.

Refer to CLS Form #M16000:
Stool Collection Procedure For Culture, Clostridium difficle Toxin, Rotavirus and Ova & Parasites.

Stool may be  collected in a clean, dry disposable container, plastic wrap stretched under the toilet seat, or into a waxed cardboard container. It MUST be a dry specimen i.e. not contaminated with water or urine.

The patient should be advised to select parts of stool which contain pus, mucous, or blood to transfer to the sterile container.

If an Ova and Parasite examination is also requested, the specimen must be put into both a dry sterile container and a container with preservative (SAF).

Store specimen at 4°C.

Leaking specimen containers will NOT be accepted.

The specimen should be delivered to the laboratory as soon as possible after collection. 
Stool specimens should be received within 18 hours of collection for optimal results.

Rectal swabs are not optimal for the recovery of enteric pathogens, but will be processed.

Routine stool culture includes the following:
Escherichia coli 0157:H7, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Edwardsiella, Yersinia and Aeromonas species.

Indicate if a specific pathogen is suspected, as well as any significant travel history.

If Vibrio species requested, patient must have history of travel to an endemic area or ingestion of shellfish. Indicate history on requisition.

Consider the "seasonality" of enteric bacterial infection before automatically ordering stool samples for culture and sensitivity; also take a detailed travel history.

Only one stool culture should be initially ordered regardless of the clinical circumstances of the patient. If the initial sample is negative, then a second sample could be ordered later if clinically indicated. Microbiologist on Call 770-3757 must approve multiple testing.

Only one stool sample for culture and sensitivity is accepted from hospitalized patients, and should be obtained within the first four hospital days. Exceptions to the above would be stool samples from immunosuppressed patients, immigration and history of travel.