Testing - culture

[Sheila1]

Hi all, I just discovered through a bit of searching here and there, that Quest Diagnostics does do CDiff cultures as well as the usual toxin tests. A 4-day turnaround on cultures. If Quest is in your area, you can go to the link below to see if the lab used for your region does the culture. Of course, if you test positive a culture isn't necessary as you already have your answer. The culture does not test toxin.

http://cas2.questdiagnostics.com/scripts/dos.wls?wlapp=DOS

[Christina]

This is great to know Sheila. Thanks! But beware that the culture also picks up non toxic strains of c-diff as well which can confuse test results and alarm people to treat when know treatment is necessary. It's best to run the Cytotoxicity Assay. This can pick up the tiniest traces of toxins and is considered the gold standard as far as testing. Quest in my area does not run that test as I inquired when I was to run all three tests.
Also, beware that when I did contact Quest and they could run the culture but not the CA at least here, they were not sure as to how the sample had to be collected. I was told I could not collect it because a Dr. would have to "swab" that area and that would have to be done in the Dr.'s office. After talking w/ my Dr. they were incorrect and I did eventually find a lab here who knew what they were doing.
For the culture, it is collected in a sterile specimen cup and left at room temp. Not on ice and not refrigerated and certainly not swabbed!

[Bobbie]

Sheila & Christina,
Another case if "does anyone agree?" And another reason why C. diff. is so difficult to diagnose. I've always read the Cytotoxicity Assay is the best test.

I was told "clean cup" for years. When I contacted the lab at St. Luke's, the tech said, "I wish nurses would stop telling people "clean." She said sterile is a must but to refrigerate.

Let's do some more checking.

[Christina]

The following website from Labcorp explains how each specimen for all three c-diff tests should be collected and stored. When I have tested we do run all three tests and these are the same guidelines I was given by the Microbiologist Supervisor at my local hospital lab.

http://www.labcorp.com/dos/index.html


Hope this helps.

[Christina]

Sorry. click on the letter c on the left and scrowl down to Clostridium Difficile. All three tests are listed together.

[Bobbie]

Thx., Christina. Copied info. in FAQ-Tests.