Stool Culture, Vibrio Only

A single stool specimen cannot be used to rule out bacteria as a cause of diarrhea. It is recommended that two or three stool specimens, collected on separate days, be submitted to increase the probability of isolating a bacterial pathogen. Hospitalized patients who develop diarrhea while hospitalized and more than 72 hours after admission should be tested for Clostridium difficile by detection of toxin A and/or toxin B.

Studies have shown that patients who did not have gastroenteritis or other GI symptoms on admission are unlikely to have diarrheal illness due to Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, or enterohemorrhagic E coli.

Maintain specimen at room temperature.

Specimen received in grossly leaking transport container; diapers; dry specimen; specimen submitted in fixative or additive; specimen received in expired transport media or incorrect transport device; inappropriate specimen transport condition (not in a C&S vial or in an overfilled C&S vial); specimen received after prolonged delay in transport (usually more than 72 hours); specimen stored or transported frozen; wooden shaft swab in transport device; unlabeled specimen or name discrepancy between specimen and request label