Gastroenteritis is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in young children. If diagnostic testing to identify the causative pathogen is desired, bulk stool is the specimen type that is typically requested.
The bioMérieux BioFire FilmArray® Gastrointestinal Panel (GIP) is a closed, automated system that allows rapid and accurate testing for pathogens that cause infectious diarrhea. It can detect up to 22 pathogen targets including viruses, bacteria, and parasites in just over an hour. Its use with bulk stool samples has been extensively validated.
Unfortunately, bulk stool is not always obtainable within a reasonable time-frame, particularly for outpatients and/or in resource-limited settings. We sought to evaluate the anatomically designed flocked rectal swab samples for use with the BioMérieux Biofire FilmArray®GIP.
