Clostridium Difficle Toxin B

Short Name: CLOS B
Sample required: Stool
Result Time: 1 Days

Clostridium difficile is a free-living anaerobic bacterium which can colonize the digestive tract and sometimes produces a toxin. Toxins produced by Clostridium difficile strains cause pseudomembranous colitis, typically after antibiotic use. This bacterium is the most common cause of antibiotic-associated colitis and is typically hospital-acquired. The combination of overgrowth of C.difficile and toxin production can damage the lining of the colon and lead to severe inflammation of the colon and prolonged diarrhea. A POSITIVE test indicates that the patient symptoms (mostly diarrhea) are due to an overgrowth of toxin-producing C.difficile. If the test is NEGATIVE but the diarrhea continues, another sample needs to be tested.