Quick Help Please - stool test

[Carolina*]

I am collecting the sample for a fecal protectin today and can't take to the lab until tomorrow. Her Doctor said to freeze and the lab notes say to only refrigerate if it will be longer than 24 hours. Does it matter? I don't want to goof this up.

 

[my little penguin]

What test ?
Decal caloprotectin?
We have done both
For fecal cal
We have frozen it and other times refrigerated it
They will ship
It frozen to the outside lab to be completed most times

 

[Carolina*]

What test ?
Decal caloprotectin?
We have done both
For fecal cal
We have frozen it and other times refrigerated it
They will ship
It frozen to the outside lab to be completed most times

Lab order says Calprotectin, Fecal. I can't believe the lab notes say room temp and then refrigerate after 24 hours. When I called her Doctor to confirm they said freeze, the lab I'm using is closer to home than driving to the Hospital where she goes. I'll drive over to the lab as soon as they open tomorrow to drop off. I would have thought lab would say refrigerate immediately at a minimum.

 

[Farmwife]

We've refrigerated it for 24 hours and was told by the lab that that was fine.
If worried you can also call the on-call GI or lab and ask if that would be okay.

 

[my little penguin]

Definitely refrigerate it minimum
Freezingbus ok as well

 

[Carolina*]

Is it alarming Lab Corps says only refrigerate after 24 hours on their instructions, yikes! Glad I asked, seemed wrong to me.

 

[pdx]

We've also received conflicting info in the past with regards to freezing or refrigerating, which leads me to think that probably both are OK. I've never heard of being able to keep a sample at room temp for 24 hours, though.

 

[Carolina*]

We've also received conflicting info in the past with regards to freezing or refrigerating, which leads me to think that probably both are OK. I've never heard of being able to keep a sample at room temp for 24 hours, though.

I know, that's what is so odd to me! The fridge versus freezer I get, but up to 24 hours at room temp seems wrong to me!

 

[Maya142]

We have also heard both fridge and freezer. We usually put it in the fridge (and we also go to LabCorp).

I'm going to tag crohnsinct because I think she has more info.

 

[crohnsinct]

ahhh Fcp my favorite topic!!!

Actually for Fcp test the sample stays viable at room temp for up to 7 days. Problem is most labs have to ship it off for testing. It stays on bench for a few days. So, unless you are handing it in same day best to freeze or refrigerate it. They say it doesn't much matter which way you go but we always opt for freezing. Freezing or refrigerating will not affect the sample. But too many days at room temp will. So I always err on the side of caution.

 

[Carolina*]

ahhh Fcp my favorite topic!!!

Actually for Fcp test the sample stays viable at room temp for up to 7 days. Problem is most labs have to ship it off for testing. It stays on bench for a few days. So, unless you are handing it in same day best to freeze or refrigerate it. They say it doesn't much matter which way you go but we always opt for freezing. Freezing or refrigerating will not affect the sample. But too many days at room temp will. So I always err on the side of caution.

Thank you so much! Great info to know. I hope I allowed enough time for her results to come back before her appointment in 9 days.

 

[crohnsinct]

They should get back by then, although it is close. Quest could take up to 11 days to get results back but I believe LabCorp is faster. Also, docs could call and get the results a lot faster than they are reported in portals etc.

Good luck!