New Frontiers Podcast - Advances in Stool Testing - The GI-MAP GI-Microbial Assay Plus

In this episode of New Frontiers, Dr. Fitzgerald talks with Tony Hoffman about new advances in stool testing, how to use test results to improve patient outcomes, and the limitations of stool testing.

Dr. Fitzgerald's Program Summary

I had loads of fun taking a tour through the wonderment of DSL GI MAP test today with Tony Hoffman, CEO of DSL (and longtime friend of mine!). DSL’s GI MAP stool test is, as CEO Tony Hoffman states, “a clinician diagnostic tool,” not a microbiome test. Yes, of course the GI MAP looks at the microbiome, but it’s not a broad sweep of the myriad bugs taking up residence. Rather, it’s a carefully curated investigation of organisms with demonstrated imbalance potential, be it pathogenic or dysbiotic in nature. The test is designed to be user-friendly, interpreted rapidly, logically, providing clearly actionable data that, when addressed, gets results. I’ve known Tony for years – we were both involved in the development of the first stool test using PCR analysis offered to clinicians. He’s brilliant, fun to listen to, and offers loads of pearls in this conversation….

I am not aware of another individual who has been involved in comprehensive stool testing as much as Tony. From his college days in a hospital microbiology lab to this terrific podcast where he shares the benefits of DSL’s diagnostic tool, you will find a breadth of useful information from one of the top sources in the field. Take a listen, share, comment, and give us a thumbs up wherever you listen to New Frontiers.

In this podcast, you’ll hear:

• The importance of understanding technology and what it is capable of doing to get better results for patients
• Why the quantity of an organism found in the microbiome matters as much as the type of organism found in the microbiome SNP testing for C. diff
• Steady-state dysbiosis in patients with chronic symptoms versus the acute changes seen after a trigger episode
• Why some die-off symptoms are unavoidable when addressing dysbiosis
• How botanicals work to correct dysbiosis differently than antibiotics
• Why Hoffman recommends never using a single botanical formula and always using combination formulas
• The importance of taking patient compliance into consideration when formulating a treatment plan
• The potential consequences of antibiotic use in the first three years of life
• The chemotaxic properties of botanicals versus antibiotics
• Guidelines for the use of probiotics in infants
• The ability to test virulence factors for H. pylori and other toxins
• Why H. pylori should always be treated, even when present in non-symptom-causing amounts.
• The limitations of stool testing
• Evolutions in and additions to the DSL test
• The robust clinical education program at DSL
• Testing for genes associated with antibiotic resistance
• How to prioritize the information you get from DSL tests to help patients over the course of several visits

Episode 56: SPONSORED Advances in Stool Testing: The GI-MAP™ GI-Microbial Assay Plus by Dr. Kara Fitzgerald is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Author: Kara Fitzgerald, ND

KARA FITZGERALD, ND  lectures globally on functional medicine, is on faculty at IFM, and practices in Connecticut.