Specimen Requirements

Acceptable Specimens:

1. Stool in 1 vial 10% formalin. Stool should be added to the vial to bring liquid level up to “Fill to Here” line; approximately 5 mL of stool.

2. Fresh stool: 10 mL in leak-proof, screw-capped, sterile container

Collection Procedure:

Note: Do not collect stool if the patient has been:

• On the following drugs or using these preparations for the preceding 7 to 10 days: aluminum-containing compounds, barium, bismuth, clindamycin, iron salts, kaolin drugs, magnesium, metronidazole, tetracycline, or trimethoprim/sulfisoxazole.
• Using these preparations for the preceding 2 days: oil laxatives or enemas.

Collect 3 specimens over a 3 to 9 day period for outpatients (do not collect more than 1 per day) or 1 specimen per day for the first 3 days after admission for hospitalized patients. (Specimen collected more than 3 days after a patient is admitted is not acceptable, without consultation. Contact the lab medicine resident: 747-1320 (#3). Virtually all parasite infections are acquired outside the hospital.

Parasitology Transport Kit 

Collect stool as described in instructions provided with each kit. (Swab or specimen contaminated with urine or water is not acceptable.)

Fresh stool

1. Place specimen in leak-proof, screw-capped, sterile container.

2. Maintain sterility and forward promptly.

3. If transport is delayed, keep specimen at room temperature.  Specimen must be received within 24 hours of collection.

Note: Specimen source is required.