Open AccessIs Repeat PCR Needed for Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection?
Author(s) -
Robert Luo,
Niaz Banaei
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of clinical microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.349
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1070-633X
pISSN - 0095-1137
DOI - 10.1128/jcm.00722-10
Subject(s) - clostridium difficile , diarrhea , false positive paradox , polymerase chain reaction , microbiology and biotechnology , clostridiaceae , medicine , biology , virology , gene , antibiotics , genetics , machine learning , computer science , toxin
Patients with diarrhea, defined as loose or watery stool, and two or moreClostridium difficile tcdB PCR tests within 14 days of each other were investigated. Repeat PCR for 293 patients with a prior negative result yielded negative results in 396 (97.5%) of 406 tests. Ten new positives were detected, including one false positive. Repeat PCR within 7 days appears rarely useful, except for patients with evidence of a new infection.