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Clostridium difficile Toxin B PCR
Test CodeCDPCR
Alias/See Also
Clostridium difficle PCR, Xpert Clostridium difficile, C. diff PCR
Preferred Specimen
Liquid or semi-formed stool, 5mL
Minimum Volume
1 mL
Instructions
Transfer liquid or soft stool (but not urine) into the container. Avoid mixing toilet paper, water, or soap with the sample.
Transport Container
Dry sterile leak-proof container
Specimen Stability
Room temperature: 24 hrs; Refrigerated: 5 days
Reject Criteria (Eg, hemolysis? Lipemia? Thaw/Other?)
- Specimen other than liquid or semi-formed stool
- Specimen with less than 1 mL
- Specimen past stability requirement
- Stool in a wrong transport container
- Stool in preservative or mixed with urine
Methodology
Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Limitations
Potentially interfering substances include, but are not limited to Vagisil cream and zinc oxide paste.
Reference Range
Not detected
Clinical Significance
C. difficile infection (CDI) ranges from diarrhea to severe life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis.
Outbreaks of CDI have been attributed to a number of emerging “hypervirulent” strains that include strains belonging to PCR ribotype 027, PFGE type NAP1 and REA type BI.
Strains of 027/NAP1/BI exhibit increased toxin production and they are thought to produce more spores, leading to enhanced persistence in the environment.
Outbreaks of CDI have been attributed to a number of emerging “hypervirulent” strains that include strains belonging to PCR ribotype 027, PFGE type NAP1 and REA type BI.
Strains of 027/NAP1/BI exhibit increased toxin production and they are thought to produce more spores, leading to enhanced persistence in the environment.
