GI PANEL / ENTERIC SCREEN CULTURE / CLEARANCE CULTURE (VDH REQUEST ONLY)
Laboratory: Microbial Reference
Test Description: Multi-pathogen detection panel for enteric pathogens (bacterial, parasitic, viral) and culture for applicable bacterial pathogens
Order Approval Required? Yes
Specimen Type: Stool in Cary-Blair Transport Medium
Collection Container: Cary-Blair Transport Medium
Optimal Volume: Enough stool sample should be collected to bring the Cary-Blair media level up to, but not exceeding, the fill line
Collection Guidelines:
- See Patient Instructions for Stool Collection
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- Instructions in additional languages are available on the following DCLS page: Sample Kit Collection and Shipping Stool specimens should preferably be collected before any antibiotic treatment is administered to the patient
- Antibiotic therapy should be noted on the test request form.
DCLS approved submitters can request collection kits at DCLS_SSSKits@dgs.virginia.gov.
Storage Instructions:
- Store Cary-Blair stools at 2-8°C or 15-25°C unless recovery of Shigella or Campylobacter is required, or specimens are being submitted for STEC/E. coli O157 clearance, in which case the specimen should be maintained at 2-8°C
- Specimen must be received and tested within 4 days of collection
Transportation Instructions:
- Transport: 2-8°C or 15-25°C unless recovery of Shigella or Campylobacter is required, or specimens are being submitted for STEC/E. coli O157 clearance, in which case transport specimen at 2-8°C
- Specimen must be received and tested within 4 days of collection
Test Methodology: BioFire FilmArray GI Panel; MALDI-TOF organism identification, conventional techniques; serology for Salmonella species, Shigella species and Vibrio cholerae; PCR detection of Shiga Toxins and Shigella species/Enteroinvasive E. coli; EHEC EIA for Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli clearance cultures
Causes for Rejection:
- Broken transport media
- Incorrect transport media
- Media that has expired prior to inoculation
- Samples with no name or identifier, mismatched samples and test request forms
- Not enough or too much specimen in the Cary-Blair transport media
- True duplicate specimens (same collection date, source, and patient identifiers) may be rejected
- Specimen received out of the appropriate temperature range.