Test Overview
Culture
Screen for bacterial pathogens in the stool
Normal fecal flora
* Reference ranges may change over time. Please refer to the original patient report when evaluating results.
If no pathogens are present, culture will be reported as 'No Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Aeromonas or Pleisiomonas isolated.' Culture will not isolate Neisseria. If N. gonorrhoeae is suspected, request Neisseria screen separately.
Test Details
Preliminary results are reported in 48 hours. Negative cultures are reported after 3 days.
- Yersinia Culture, Stool
- Salmonella Culture, Stool
- Culture, Stool, Aerobic
- Enteric Pathogens, Aerobic Culture
- Enteric Pathogens, Routine Culture
- Feces, Aerobic Culture
- Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS)
- HUS
- Shiga-Like Toxin
- Pleisiomonas Culture, Stool
- Febrile Antibodies Panel replacement (Salmonella)
- Vibrio group Culture, Stool
- Shigella Culture, Stool
- Stool Culture, Aerobic
- Campylobacter Culture, Stool
- Aeromonas Culture, Stool
- Vibrio cholera Culture, Stool
Specimen Requirements
Collect fresh random stool or rectal swab. Add stool specimen to transport until liquid reaches fill line. Emulsify specimen thoroughly in transport fluid. Specify pathogen suspected if not Campylobacter, Salmonella or Shigella. If stool is bloody or Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome is suspected, indicate this on the requisition. If multiple samples are needed, send 1 stool specimen on each of 3 consecutive days. If the patient has been hospitalized 4 or more days, contact MLabs to have the test approved before sending the specimen. See MLabs Stool Specimen Collection Instructions available online at https://mlabs.umich.edu/media/175 for patient instructions.
≤72 hrs in stool transport.
≤ 24 hrs in E-swab transport
≤ 2 hours Fresh stool
Refrigerated:
≤72 hrs in stool transport.
≤ 24 hrs in E-swab transport
≤ 24 hours Fresh stool
Frozen specimens
Ambient fresh stool >2 hours, Refrigerated fresh stool >24 hours.
Stool received in transport> 72 hours old.
Rectal swab received in E-swab transport > 24 hours old.
Additional Information
Test includes stool culture and shiga-like toxin. Stool infections are transmitted within the community and are rarely hospital acquired. If a patient develops diarrhea 4 or more days after hospitalization, there is a very low likelihood that the diarrhea is due to bacterial infection, with the exception of Clostridium difficile. C. difficile toxin testing can be requested any time C. difficile colitis is suspected. Potentially pathogenic organisms will be identified. Test includes susceptibility testing of potentially pathogenic organism(s) at an additional charge unless specifically declined.