Authors' recommendations: The evidence suggests that the rapid tests designed to detect C. difficile have lower sensitivity and PPV than the reference standard, CTA with or without anaerobic culture. Those rapid tests that had favourable diagnostic performance characteristics compared to other rapid tests included the Meridian Premier C. difficile Toxin A+B ELISA, TechLab Tox A/B Quik Chek, TechLab Toxin A/B II, and ImmunoCard Toxin A&B. The ImmunoCard Toxin A&B test had the shortest procedural time reported in two studies to be 16 and 24 minutes. In addition, this test is a single-test EIA and may be useful in facilities where testing is done on an occasional basis. Overall, the decision to use rapid tests in the detection of C. difficile and the type of test used may depend on the cost of the test, the need for additional equipment or training to perform the test, the requirement of a short turn-around time for test completion, the number of samples that are typically processed by the laboratory, the level of laboratory skill of the person performing the test, and the capacity to perform confirmatory tests by either CTA or anaerobic culture.

Project Status: Completed

URL for project: http://www.cadth.ca/media/pdf/L0104_Rapid_Tests_for_C_difficile_Detection_final.pdf

Year Published: 2009

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: Canada

Organisation Name: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health

Contact Address: 600-865 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1S 5S8 Canada. Tel: +1 613 226 2553; Fax: +1 613 226 5392;

Contact Name: requests@cadth.ca

Contact Email: requests@cadth.ca

Copyright: Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH)