Specimen Requirement

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

A. Fresh Stool:  Must arrive within 24 hours of collection

1. Submit 5.0 mL to 10.0 mL of fresh stool in a screw-capped container

2. Label container with patient's name (first and last), MR#. or DOB, date, actual time of collection and type of specimen

3. Forward promptly at ambient or refrigerated temperature

B. Stool Cary-Blair Preserved Specimen

1.Transfer fresh stool to a ParaPak^TM Fecal Enteric vial. Adequate sample must be present in the vial to bring the level to the fill line.

2. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), MR# or DOB, date, actual time of collection and type of specimen

3 Forward promptly at ambient or refrigerated temperature   

4. Sample Stability: 4 days

C. FecalSwab ™

Each FecalSwab kit consists of a sterile peel pouch containing a regular Nylon FLOQSwab™ and a screw cap tube containing 2mL of Cary-Blair medium NOTE: These instructions indicate use of FecalSwab after patient has delivered stool specimen in a clean, dry pan or special container. Stool specimen should not contain urine or water

1. Open the peel pouch. Remove the swab. Do not touch the swab tip. Always hold the shaft applicator above the marked breakpoint.
2. Collect a small amount of stool by inserting all the tip of the flocked swab into stool sample and rotate it. NOTE: Bloody, slimy or watery area of stools should be selected and sampled
3. Remove and examine to make sure there is fecal material visible on the tip of the swab. If needed, insert again the flocked swab into stool sample and rotate making sure all the area of the swab tip is in contact with the sample.
4. Transfer the swab into the FecalSwab™ tube and check that the maximum filling line (“MAX. FILL”) on the label is not exceeded. NOTE: If sample collected exceeds maximum fill line discard the swab and the tube and collect a new specimen using a different FecalSwab™.
5. Holding the swab shaft between thumb and finger, mash and mix the stool specimen against the side of the tube to evenly disperse and suspend the specimen in the medium.
6. Hold the tube away from your face. Holding the end of the swab shaft, bend it at a 180 degrees angle to break at the marked breakpoint.
7. If needed, gently twist the shaft between thumb and forefinger to completely remove it. Discard the broken upper part of the swab shaft and tighten the cap.
8. Shake the vial until the sample appears homogeneous.
9. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), MR# or DOB, date, actual time of collection and type of specimen.

 The following specimens will not be tested:

1. Formed stools
2. Dried out specimen
3. Insufficient specimen volume
4. Specimen contaminated with urine and/or water
5. Specimen contaminating outside of container
6. Specimen soaked into diaper or tissue paper
7. Specimen with bismuth, iron, magnesium compounds, or mineral oil