REF MISC

Vibrio Culture, Feces

Performing Lab:
Referral Lab
Patient Preparation:

Do not use barium or bismuth before specimen collection 

Container Type:
Carey-Blair
Specimen Type:

Fecal

Preferred Volume:
1 gram or 5 mL in container with transport medium (Representative portion of fecal specimen)
Alternate Specimens:

15 mL of non-nutritive transport medium containing phenol red as a pH indicator, either Cary-Blair or
Para-Pak C and S
Minimum Volume:
1 mL
Collection Procedure:

1. Collect fresh feces and submit 1 gram or 5 mL in container with transport medium.
2. Place feces in preservative within 2 hours of collection.
3. Place vial in a sealed plastic bag.

Store and Transport:
Ambient
Stability:

Ambient - 4 days
Refrigerated - 4 days

Specimen must arrive  at Mayo within 96 hours of collection.

Unacceptable Condition:

Fecal swab, Feces in Ecofix (green cap), Specimen in buffered glycerol saline transport media 

Limitations:
This test is generally not useful for patients hospitalized more than 3 days because the yield from specimens from these patients is very low, as is the likelihood of identifying a pathogen that has not been detected previously.
CPT Codes:

87046-Vibrio culture, stool

Possible Reflex tests:
87077-Identification by MALDI-TOF mass spec (if appropriate)
87077-Additional Identification Procedure (if appropriate)
87077-Bacteria Identification (if appropriate)
87153-Aerobe Ident by Sequencing (if appropriate) 

Method:
Conventional Culture

The fecal specimen is inoculated onto selective media, thiosulfate-citrate-bile salts-sucrose agar (TCBS), designed to inhibit growth of normal bowel flora while allowing growth of Vibrio species. After incubation, suspect colonies are identified using 1 or a combination of the following techniques: matrix-associated laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, conventional biochemical tests, carbon source utilization, and nucleic acid sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene.

Lab Personnel

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