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Evaluation of the rapid loop‐mediated isothermal amplification assay Illumigene for diagnosis of C lostridium difficile in an outbreak situation
Author(s) -
Norén Torbjörn,
Unemo Magnus,
Magnusson Cecilia,
Eiserman Maud,
Matussek Andreas
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1111/apm.12121
Subject(s) - loop mediated isothermal amplification , clostridium difficile , outbreak , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , hygiene , isolation (microbiology) , virology , biology , antibiotics , pathology , dna , genetics
An outbreak of Clostridium difficile infection ( CDI ) at Höglandet Hospital Eksjö in southern Sweden in 2011 was mainly due to a multidrug‐resistant PCR ribotype 046 (30% of all samples). Diagnostics used routinely was the Vidas CDAB assay, but to control the outbreak the rapid loop‐mediated isothermal amplification ( LAMP ) assay Illumigene was introduced and both techniques were compared to Toxigenic culture ( TC ) prospectively. The LAMP assay had a superior sensitivity, that is, 98% compared to 79% for the Vidas CDAB assay. Most importantly, the mean turn‐around‐time from collecting sample to result was reduced from 59 h to 2 h enabling early isolation of patients and effective hygiene precautions. This may potentially decrease the morbidity and nosocomial transmissions of C . difficile .