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HelpTest Code SSPNL Infectious Stool Panel
Performing Laboratory
St. Luke's Hospital Cedar Rapids
Specimen Requirements
Stool specimen preserved in Cary Blair/C&S transport media.
Collection instructions:
1. Collect fresh stool specimen and submit 1 gram or 5 mL into the transport medium.
2. Place stool in preservative within 2 hours of collection
3. Label transport medium and order in computer.
4. Transport to laboratory, ambient or refrigerated, within 4 days.
Note: The detection of microbial DNA or RNA is dependent upon proper sample collection, handling, transportation, storage, and preparation. There is a risk of false-negative results due to the presence of strains with sequence variability or genetic rearrangements in the target regions of the assays.
The test is not recommended as a test of cure.
Repeat testing should not be performed on samples collected less than 7 days apart.
The presence of blood or mucous in the sample may interfere with testing.
Reference Ranges
Not Detected (for all targets)
Day (s) Test Set Up
Monday thru Sunday; continuously.
Methodology
Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
A negative result should not rule-out infection inpatients with a high pretest probability for gastrointestinal infection. The assay does not test for all potential infectious agents of diarrheal disease.
Positive results do not distinguish between a viable/replicating organism and the presence of a nonviable organism or nucleic acid, nor do they exclude the potential for coinfection by organisms not contained within the panel.
NOTE: Positive C. difficile PCR tests will reflex to Toxin EIA.
Test Classification and CPT Coding
87505-Gastrointestinal pathogen, includes multiplex amplified probe technique, multiple types or subtypes, 3-5 targets
87507 - Gastrointestinal pathogen, includes multiplex amplified probe technique, multiple types or subtypes, 12-25 targets.
87324 - C. difficile Toxin EIA (if PCR is positive)
Report Available
1 hr, 10 min