Progress of laboratory diagnostic methods of Clostridium difficile infection / 中华检验医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive,anaerobic spore-forming bacillus commonly found in the environment and human gut.Excessive use of antibiotics,immunosuppressive agents and chemotherapy drugs may lead to overgrowth of the toxic strain of Clostridium difficile with high resistance,which are supposed to be the major contributing factors leading to Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea(CDAD).The globally increasing incidence of CDAD,especially the outbreak of nosocomial infection caused by the hypervirulent strain in North America,arouse worldwide attention.For providing new ideas to the early diagnosis and treatment of CDAD,this review summarize the latest development on pathogenesis and rapid laboratory diagnosis of Clostridium difficile.