C Diff Test – correct diagnosis leads to correct treatment

The symptoms of c diff include diahrrea, bloating and pain. These can also be outcomes of other conditions. So, a c diff test is important to help establish whether you actually have c difficile and guide the treatment plan. It is important to establish what strain of c difficile you might have. The 027 strain, sometimes referred to as NAP1, is much more severe and will require different treatment.

C diff test – several different methods

There are many tests available from a variety of companies and new tests emerge periodically. We outline how they work and their strengths and weaknesses below. (C diff has a very distinct smell and the observational analysis offered by some medical staff may well be true. But it should confirmed by a test.)

Key c diff test types

A c diff test, carried out on patient stool samples, seeks to detect the  toxin b gene found in c difficile infections. Others look for either toxin a or b using the nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs) method. These are more sensitive than methods using toxigenic culture.  But because of this they can detect c difficile that is still in its benign state.  The patients symptoms may not be c diff and can have another cause.

Toxin enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) are rapid and do not require specialist staff. However, their performance is considered suboptimal (both in terms of sensitivity and specificity). They are often an initial test to eliminate non toxin producing infections.

Care is also needed as strain patterns shift. Genetic changes surrounding toxin a and b can change the accuracy profile of tests.

Related C. Difficile Information

• C Diff Fecal Transplant Therapy – 7 Key Facts
• C Diff Diet? Aid your recovery, ease your pain and combat further infection
• C Diff Treatment – discover 6 facts you should be aware of
• C Diff Test – correct diagnosis leads to correct treatment
• Why do some people have recurrent C Diff infections?

See below for recent C Diff Test news

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Last Updated on January 2, 2021