Specimen Requirements

Notify Microbiology Laboratory at 501-513-5769 if Vibrio or Yersinia is suspected.

Submit only 1 of the following specimens:

Feces

Unpreserved specimen must arrive within 2 hours of collection.

1. Pass stool directly into a clean, dry, leakproof screw-capped container.

2. Transport specimen to Microbiology Laboratory or transfer a visible portion onto a transport swab or transfer into Enteric Plus® vial medium.

3. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

4. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  1. Without a physician request, do not perform routine cultures for patients whose length of stay was >3 days and admitting diagnosis was not gastroenteritis.

2. Swabs are recommended only on infants and patients with diarrhea.

3. Acceptability is 1 specimen per day.

4. Specimen source is required on request form for processing.

Rectal Swab

Specimen must arrive within 2 hours of collection.

1. Carefully insert a swab 0.1 inches beyond anal sphincter.

2. Gently rotate swab to sample anal crypts.

3. Feces should be visible on swab for detection of pathogens.

4. Place swab into swab transport.

5. Label container with patient’s name (first and last), date and actual time of collection, and type of specimen.

6. Maintain sterility and forward promptly at ambient temperature only.

Note:  1. Rectal swabs are for detecting Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Shigella, Campylobacter, herpes simplex virus, anal carriage of group B strep, or for patients unable to pass a specimen.

2. Acceptability is 1 specimen per day.

3. Specimen source is required on request form for processing.