Testing is generally not necessarily for patients with formed stools (no diarrhea). The gold standard for diagnosis of C. difficile<unk>  is cell culture cytotoxic assay, but it is rarely used clinically (difficult technique and time consuming). Among patients with diarrhea,C. difficile<unk>  is diagnosed either by enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) for toxins A and/or B in stools or by DNA-based tests (PCR) that detect bacterial toxin genes in stools. Although both ELISA and DNA-based tests may be performed sequentially, only one positive test is sufficient to diagnose C. difficile<unk> . Both ELISA and DNA-based tests also have a high negative predictive value > 95% among average-risk patients, and generally negative results warrants the search for alternative diagnoses. The advantage of DNA-based tests over ELISA is that it may detect the presence of BI/NAP1/027 strain, which alters the management plan. However, DNA-based tests may also detect clinically irrelevant<unk>  that may delay the diagnosis. Stool culture requires anaerobic culture and may not be available. Although not diagnostic, additional blood testing may be necessary to monitor for possible development of complications or the success/failure of antimicrobial therapy.
Clostridium difficile infection laboratory findings
Clostridium difficile infection physical examination
Campylobacteriosis laboratory findings
Shigellosis laboratory findings
Escherichia coli enteritis laboratory findings
Viral gastroenteritis laboratory findings
Acute diarrhea laboratory findings
Irritable bowel syndrome physical examination