The utility of repeated stool toxin testing for diagnosing Clostridium difficile colitis.
Clostridium difficile is diagnosed using the enzyme-linked immunoassay (EIA) with the specificity and sensitivity ranging from 50-90% and 70-95%, respectively. Due to the wide ranges, there is considerable confusion regarding the value of the EIA toxin test. We undertook this study to evaluate the benefit of repeat stool toxin testing.
Gade
Rajesh
R
Department of Infectious Diseases, Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center, New York, NY 10011, USA. drrajgade@yahoo.com
Turett
Glenn
G
D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005243:Feces / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D004768:Enterotoxins