Hi, I'm Hannah, I'm AJ, and I'm Victor. We're from Team Diarrhea at the Minnesota Department
of Health. Today we're going to show you how to collect a stool sample.
Alright James, here's the kit to collect your stool specimen. Are you ready to do it? James:
Yes. Let's see what we have in here.
Included in your stool kit, there should be instructions for collecting the stool specimen,
the lab slip, the vial for collecting the stool, an absorbent paper that you'll put into the
biohazard bag that will go with the stool, and a biohazard envelope. There should also
be included, a hat. Please make sure to collect your specimen
as soon as possible, and only follow these instructions.
Alright, we've got some instructions. So it says, 'Fill out the top portion of lab slip',
which is right underneath here. Make sure to include your name, the collection date,
and your date of birth so the lab knows how to process the sample.
Make sure your name and collection date is filled out on the vial.
Alright James, here's what you need to take your sample. Your vial, and the hat. Good luck. James: Thanks.
This is what you're going to use to collect
your stool specimen in the toilet. Make sure that these corners are facing towards the back of
the toilet, and you're going to want to also bend this, both sides, so that it fits down
inside the toilet. And to also push this [the tissue portion], which will actually
collect the stool, down. So you'll want to remove the sticky-sided tape,
and stick it down in the toilet, just like that. And you're ready to go.
Now make sure you use this little scoop that's inside the vial to scoop the stool into the
container, and make sure also to fill it up to that orange line.
And that's it. So after you're done scooping the stool into
the vial, tear away this paper portion and let it fall into the toilet.
Remove this, throw it away into the garbage, and flush it down.
So to pack it up, grab the vial and this absorbent paper and put it inside the biohazard bag.
Seal it up. And then take the lab slip and the biohazard bag and put it inside this paper bag
and seal that.
And then place this into the box, and you're ready to ship it out.
For babies, the procedure's a little different. Use the same vial, but scoop it out of the diaper when they're done.
If you have any questions, feel free to call the number at the bottom of the instruction sheet. Then just drop the kit off in a mailbox and feel better soon.
When you're ready to send your kit back in
the cardboard box that the health department provided for you, there is a prepaid postage
on the box, and just simply put it in your home mailbox or in any regular mailbox.