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Testing for Clostridium difficile infection

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As the most common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhoea in industrialised countries, Clostridium difficile continues to represent a significant amount of morbidity and mortality worldwide.

With each case of hospital-acquired C. difficile Infection (CDI) costing an estimated £7000 in the UK, at a time of increased healthcare pressures and cost justifications, accurate testing for CDI is often high on hospital agendas. As diagnostic capabilities have been developed and assessed in line with clinical outcome, common algorithms that truly improve patient outcomes, inform treatment therapy and limit the unnecessary use of healthcare resources appear ever closer. As technology develops over time, more laboratories are exploring molecular methods for diagnosing respiratory and enteric diseases; however, even though this type of methodology can be accurate, for CDI specifically, it should not be used in isolation.

 

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Upcoming Events

USCAP 113th Annual Meeting

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
23-28 March, 2024

Pathology Horizons 2024

MacDonald Bath Spa Hotel, Bath
18-20 April, 2024

Diagnostics North East Conference 2024

The Catalyst, Newcastle upon Tyne
19 April, 2024

ECCMID 2024 - European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Fira Gran Via, 08038 Barcelona, Spain
27-30 April 2024

British Society for Microbial Technology Annual Microbiology Conference

UK Health Security Agency, Colindale, London
2 May 2024

EQA Reports: Interpreting Key Information & Troubleshooting Tips

ONLINE - Zoom
Thursday 16th May 2024

Access the latest issue of Pathology In Practice on your mobile device together with an archive of back issues.

Download the FREE Pathology In Practice app from your device's App store

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