About Your Test
Your health professional has requested a test which requires you to collect one or more samples of your faeces. This faeces collection is for culture, ova and parasites, PCR, or similar testing. For faecal occult blood testing, see Faecal Occult Blood.
You will need to obtain a specimen container and a specimen delivery bag from your health professional or one of our collection centres.
If you need to collect more than one sample, you will need a separate container for each sample.
Specimen Collection Procedure
- Write your full name and date of birth on the label of the specimen container.
- Pass faeces into a collection punnet.
- A clean 2-litre ice cream container is an ideal collection punnet.
- Use the scoop attached to the underside of the specimen container lid, to place a portion (about the size of a large walnut) into the specimen container.
- Screw the lid of the container down firmly.
- Write the and date and time of collection on the specimen container label.
- Place the specimen container in the specimen bag with the request form in front pocket
- Deliver your specimen to your health professional or one of our collection centres as soon as possible.
- Keep the specimen(s) in a cool place until you can deliver it. Do not place your sample in a refrigerator.
- If you have been asked to collect more than one sample, collect each sample on a different day.
For further information regarding this test procedure, please contact Wellington SCL on (04) 381 5900 or 0800 381 5900.