title: Impact of toxigenic Clostridium difficile polymerase chain reaction testing on the clinical microbiology laboratory and inpatient epidemiology.
abstract: Conversion from Clostridium difficile toxin A/B EIA to tcdB polymerase chain reaction for diagnosis of C. difficile infection (CDI) resulted in significant decreases in laboratory testing volume and largely unchanged C. difficile toxin detection rates. Decreases in healthcare-associated CDI rates (P ≤ 0.05) reflected a clinical practice benefit of this conversion.
authors.affiliation: Wheaton Franciscan Laboratory, Wauwatosa, WI 53226, USA.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Napierala
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Munson
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Skonieczny
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Riederer
authors.forename: Gayle
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Land
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luzinski
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Jeanne E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Hryciuk
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000032:analysis*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004768:Enterotoxins; C041348:tcdA protein, Clostridium difficile; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile
keywords: Clostridium difficile; Healthcare-associated infection; PCR