Chapter 13: Diagnostic tests
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Specimen collection: faecal sampling
Definition
Faecal specimens are primarily obtained for microbiological analysis to isolate and identify pathogenic bacterial, viral or parasitic organisms suspected of causing gastrointestinal (GI) infections or in patients with diarrhoea of potentially infectious aetiology (Pagana and Pagana [177]). Faecal specimens may also be obtained for other non‐microbiological testing to detect the presence of other substances, such as occult blood, or as part of the national screening programme for colorectal cancer (NHS BCSP [153]).
