title: Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in diarrheal stools by rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: The Cepheid Xpert polymerase chain reaction assay (Sunnyvale, CA) had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 96.7%, and positive and negative predictive values of 90.5% and 100%, respectively, compared with toxigenic culture for the laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile in diarrheal stool samples. This test appears to be a significant improvement to poorly performing enzyme immunoassays.
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Infection, Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. simon.goldenberg@gstt.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dieringer
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: French
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins