title: Effect on diagnostic yield of repeated stool testing during outbreaks of Clostridium difficile-associated disease.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, Hospital St Jansdal, Harderwijk, The Netherlands. sb.debast@meandermc.nl
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Debast
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Kregten
authors.forename: K M G
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Oskam
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van den Berg
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Van den Berg
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Kuijper
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile