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HelpTest Code 459 Clostridium difficile rPCR with reflex Toxin A/B
Additional Codes
ALAB: CDIFF
PowerChart: Clostridium difficile rPCR with reflex C. diff Toxin A/B
MA Cerner: Clostridium difficile rPCR with reflex C. diff Toxin A/B
Test Method
Rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (rPCR)
Reflex test: Horizontal flow enzyme immunoassay (EIA)
Specimen Requirement
Unformed stool collected in a sterile container is recommended. Formed stool specimens will be rejected.
Specimens should be refrigerated after collection. Specimens are stable for up to 4 days when stored at 2-8 C.
Do not accept specimens from inpatients after the third hospital day with prior consultation with ordering provider and/or pathologist.
Performance
Testing is performed Monday through Sunday.
Typically completed within 2 hours after the specimen arrives at the testing site.
Reference Values
Toxigenic C. difficile: Negative
Toxigenic C. difficile 027 Strain: Negative
Positive results are called to the nursing station or physician's
office.
Positive test results for Clostridium difficile do not correlate
well with disease in young children.
The PCR test will be performed as an initial screening test.
PCR negative specimens will be reported as negative for C. difficile.
PCR positive specimens will reflexively be tested for C. difficile Toxin A/B.
Specimens that are positive by both PCR and Toxin assay will be reported as positive for C. difficile.
Specimens that are positive by PCR but negative for Toxin A/B by the toxin assay will be reported as equivocal.
CPT Code Information
87493 Detection of Infectious Agents by Probe Techniques; Clostridium difficile, toxin gene(s), amplified probe technique
87324 Clostridium difficile Toxins A and B, EIA
Useful For
Sensitive, specific, and rapid diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis.
Recommend testing on patients with clinically significant diarrhea and a history of antibiotic exposure.
LOINC Code Information
54067-4 Clostridium difficile Toxin Genes [Presence] In Stool By Probe And Target Amplification Method