title: Diagnostic pitfalls in Clostridium difficile infection.
abstract: Accurate diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is important not only for patient care but also for epidemiology and disease research. As it is not possible clinically to reliably differentiate CDI from other causes of health care-associated diarrhea, the laboratory confirmation of CDI is essential. Rapid commercial assays, including nucleic acid amplification tests and immunoassays for C difficile toxin and glutamate dehydrogenase, have largely superseded the use of older assays. Although assays that detect the presence of free C difficile toxin in feces are less frequently positive than tests for organism, they are preferable for the detection of CDI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Centre for Infection, University of London, St. George's Hospital, Cranmer Terrace, London SW17 0RE, UK.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Planche
authors.affiliation: Microbiology, University of Leeds, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, West Yorkshire, Leeds LS1 3EX, UK. Electronic address: Mark.Wilcox@leedsth.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Mark H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wilcox
mesh_terms: D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D003603:Cytotoxins
keywords: Clostridium difficile; Culture; Cytotoxin assay; Diagnostic accuracy; Immunoassay; Nucleic acid amplification test