A stool (feces) sample can provide doctors with valuable
information about what's going on when a child has a problem in
the stomach, intestines, or other part of the gastrointestinal
(GI) system. A stool culture helps the doctor determine if
there's a bacterial infection in the intestines. A technician
places small stool samples in sterile plastic dishes containing
nutrients that encourage the growth of certain bacteria. The
targeted bacteria will only grow if they're already present in
the stool sample. If bacterial colonies form, the technician
evaluates them using a microscope and chemical tests to identify
the organism. Why It's Done A doctor may request a stool culture
to look for illness-causing bacteria such as: Escherichia coli
(E. coli) 0157:H7 On occasion some other illness-causing
bacteria may be noted. The stool culture might be ordered if
your child has diarrhea for several days or has bloody diarrhea,
especially if there's been an outbreak of foodborne illness in
your community, your child has