Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
3347614 | Diagnostic Microbiology and Infectious Disease | 2010 | 6 Pages |
Abstract
Enzyme immunoassays are currently the most common tests used in the clinical laboratory for the detection of Clostridium difficile toxins; however, significant problems with their performance have recently been described. We prospectively reevaluated the Meridian Premier C. difficile toxin A/B assay with direct comparison to a 2-step algorithm that screened for C. difficile common antigen and compared cytotoxin and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as confirmatory procedures. The Premier assay lacked sufficient sensitivity, missing 25% of true-positive samples. PCR was the most sensitive method and the only procedure that allowed same day testing and reporting.
Keywords
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Immunology and Microbiology
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
Authors
Kirk M. Doing, Marilyn S. Hintz, Calvin Keefe, Sarah Horne, Shelby LeVasseur, Martha L. Kulikowski,