Bacterial enteric panel (Calgary/South)
- Test Name:
- Bacterial enteric panel (Calgary/South)
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Ordering Information:
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Rectal culture, stool pathogens (Calgary/South)
Stool culture
- Organism(s)/Disease(s):
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Bacterial diarrhea
Bacterial dysentery
Camphylobacter coli
Campylobacter jejuni
Enteric panel, bacterial - PCR
Enteric panel, bacterial culture - extended
Haemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS)
Hemorrhagic colitis
Salmonella species
Salmonella Typhi/Paratyphi
Shiga toxin producing E. coli O157 & non-O157
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC)
Shigella species
Stool pathogen - rectal culture
Typhoid fever/enteric fever
Typhoid/Paratyphoid fever
- Body Source(s):
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*Preferred: Stool/feces
Rectal swab (only COPAN FecalSwab)
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Clinical Prerequisite(s):
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• Provision of relevant clinical information is important to ensure a clinically relevant result.
• Testing for additional pathogens (Yersinia, Vibrio and Plesiomonas species) is only performed in specific scenarios:
- specific exposure, eg. raw shellfish consumption for Vibrio species
- immune compromise or prolonged symptom duration (>7 days)
This information must be recorded on the requisition - Collection Device/Tube Type:
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60 mL sterile, plastic container
- Specimen Requirement(s):
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• Only submit one stool specimen initially, regardless of the patient's clinical circumstances
• Hospitalized patients: Testing is only appropriate for symptom onset within the first four hospital days
- Collection Instructions:
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Patient Collection Instructions: Stool collections for Bacterial Pathogens
• If Ova and Parasite microscopic examination is also requested, a collection kit is required
- Handling and Storage:
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Refrigerate
- Handling/Storage Comments:
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• Deliver specimen & requisition to the lab within 8 hours after collection
• If delivery to the lab is delayed, refrigerate specimen (maximum of 24 hours)
• Leaking sample containers are not accepted
- Rejection Criteria:
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• Mislabelled or unlabelled specimen or requisition
• Insufficient quantity
• Leaking specimens
• Rectal swabs collected using Amies swabs
• Specimens collected in any preservative (10% formalin,MF, SAF, or PVA)
• Multiple specimens on the same day
- Turnaround Times
- See Microbiology Information»
- Comments:
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Diarrheal stool specimens are screened using the BD MAX™ Enteric Bacterial Panel, a commercial polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay that tests for Shiga Toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC, including O157 (and non-O157), Salmonella species, Campylobacter species, and Shigella species.
Targeted culture is performed on all PCR-positive results. PCR-positive but culture negative results may represent current infection, past/resolving infection, treated infection, colonization, or represent a false positive. Correlation with clinical picture is required
For positive STEC results, an antigen for Shiga toxin is performed. The type of Shiga toxin detected is reportd. STEC may cause hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) and isolates producing Shiga toxin 2 are more likely to do so. For more information and guidance on management, refer to E. coli (STEC) Info for Health Care Providers (albertahealthservices.ca)
All positive stool culture results are reported to the Regional Public Health Office, the ordering physicin, and Infection Control, when applicable
- Last Reviewed:
- 06 May 2023
