Stool culture for routine bacterial pathogens at PHC, should be limited to patients with at least one of the following (2,3):
If suspecting Vibrio cholerae, contact the Medical Microbiology laboratory.
Stool for C.difficile PCR if recent antibiotic exposure or chemotherapy
If patient has bloody diarrhea, indicate this on the requisition so that Shiga toxin testing can be performed
If syndrome is compatible with viral gastroenteritis, no testing is required