Stool C. Difficile Toxin
 See all Pictures & Images
How is the Test Performed?
A sample of a stool is submitted for laboratory analysis. There are several laboratory methods used to detect C. difficile toxin in the stool specimen. For many years, a cell cytotoxin assay has been used. This method incubates the stool specimen in the laboratory with tissue culture cells that are monitored over 24 to 48 hours for a specific reaction.
More recently, an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the toxins of C. difficile has been used. The EIA is faster, simpler to perform, and results are available in about an hour, but it is slightly less sensitive than the cell culture method.
|
