Effect on diagnostic yield of repeated stool testing during outbreaks of Clostridium difficile-associated disease.
The effect on diagnostic yield of testing sequential stools was assessed during two hospital epidemics of Clostridium difficile. Using a rapid immunoassay, C. difficile-associated disease was diagnosed in 237 diarrhoeal patients, of whom 204 (86%) were diagnosed from the first faeces sample and 12 (5%) were diagnosed from follow-up samples obtained within 1 week. The remaining 21 (9%) patients yielded a positive test from stools obtained >1 week after the initial negative sample. It was concluded that repeated testing of stools for C. difficile toxin is of value in controlling outbreaks of C. difficile infection.
Debast
S B
SB
Department of Medical Microbiology, Hospital St Jansdal, Harderwijk, The Netherlands. sb.debast@meandermc.nl
van Kregten
E
E
Oskam
K M G
KM
van den Berg
T
T
Van den Berg
R J
RJ
Kuijper
E J
EJ
D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D021521:Ribotyping
D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile