Relapse versus reinfection: surveillance of Clostridium difficile infection.

Molecular typing was used to examine surveillance definitions for recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea. Among 102 patients, 85 had a second episode within 8 weeks, 88% of which were relapses. Of 49 second episodes occurring after > 8 weeks, 65% were relapses.

Evaluation of the Cepheid Xpert Clostridium difficile Epi assay for diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection and typing of the NAP1 strain at a cancer hospital.

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of health care-associated diarrhea. Accurate and rapid diagnosis is essential to improve patient outcome and prevent disease spread. We compared our two-step diagnostic algorithm, an enzyme immunoassay for glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) followed by the cytotoxin neutralization test (CYT) with a turnaround time of 24 to 48 h, versus the Cepheid Xpert C.