Does it ever seem like our bodies pick the most inopportune times to make us go racing for the nearest bathroom? Like waking up in the middle of the night when you would prefer to stay in bed or when you have passed the last gas station two exits ago and you’re stuck in heavy traffic?  So what the heck is up with our bodies “pumping the brakes” when our physician needs a stool sample? You cannot always control everything and even as we see an increase in rapid PCR assays for enteric diagnostics, acquiring consistent and timely samples can be a challenge. When it comes to stool sample collection, COPAN’s FecalSwab^® can offer some relief.

As with other products in the Liquid Based Microbiology (LBM) line, such as ESwab™, the combination of a liquid transport media and the superior technology of COPAN flocked swabs are lending themselves to be highly efficient when used with many molecular assays. A new study, entitled “Evaluation of COPAN FecalSwab^® for Molecular Detection of Pathogens Using the BD MAX™ Enteric Bacterial Panel,” performed by V.P. Prakash, L. LeBlanc, K.C. Chapin,  was presented at the 2016 ASM Microbe meeting in Boston, MA. The data demonstrates that the use of FecalSwab^® with rectal swabs in conjunction with the BD MAX™ Enteric Bacterial Panel (EBP), can result in a more timely diagnosis, and treatment. FecalSwab^® is a convenient collection and transportation device, comprising of 2 mL Cary-Blair medium and a flocked swab. The kit is the latest COPAN product to be included in the LBM line, and is intended for the collection and preservation of enteric bacteria pathogens. The BD MAX™ Enteric Bacterial Panel (BD Diagnostics Systems, Quebec, Canada) is a nucleic acid amplification based assay for the detection of many common enteric pathogens, such as: Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Campylobacter spp. (C. jejuni & C. coli), and Shiga-like toxin genes.

From the 101 patients enrolled in the study who sent in rectal FecalSwab^® samples, 77 included an additional Cary-Blair stool sample for bacterial culture. All rectal FecalSwab^® samples were collected by the providers and sent to the laboratory. There, an aliquot of 500 µl were processed on the EBP, which had been determined as the highest, non-inhibitory amount from Limit of Detection and Analytical Sensitivity testing. The reference method included bacterial culture and identification through standard methods.  For discrepant analysis three methods were used including,  Cary-Blair stools processed on the EBP, as well as culture of the Cary-Blair stool, and alternative PCR Assays such as the FilmArray™ GI Panel (BioFire, Salt Lake City, UT). The results of the testing showed that the clinical performance of rectal FecalSwab^® samples on the EBP correlated with that of the culture method, with no false negatives and only 4 false positives, demonstrating a high sensitivity and concluding FecalSwab^® to be an efficient system for use with the EBP!

Many clinicians have already experienced the benefits of using COPAN’s FecalSwab^® along with a rectal swab for pediatrics and now are starting to see more range as laboratory sites validate use with molecular assays and as manufacturers include the use of FecalSwab^® in their package inserts. The adaptation of rectal FecalSwab^® samples procured by a physician and applied to PCR assays directly improves patient care. Isn’t it a relief to know that FecalSwab^® can help in providing a stool sample, too?