What Is C. Diff?
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
5. Stool Testing
Testing for a C. diff infection can be done through stool testing only on diarrhea samples. However, testing is not recommended for those without symptoms unless it is done for study purposes. Blood may be present in the stool samples but not to the naked eye. White blood cells are present in approximately 50% of stool samples. To detect C. diff and its toxins, the most sensitive test is a stool culture.
Although a stool culture is the gold standard to test for C. diff infection, it takes a long time to obtain results. This is why the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) is more often used. It is a rapid test but not ideal as it has a lesser sensitivity (will not be able to detect all cases) compared to the stool cytotoxin test.
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