Syndromic Panel Testing Among Patients With Infectious Diarrhea: The Challenge of Interpreting Clostridioides difficile Positivity on a Multiplex Molecular Panel.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Including Clostridioides difficile (CD) in gastrointestinal multiplex molecular panels (GIPCR) presents a diagnostic challenge. Incidental detection by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) without consideration of pretest probability (PTP) may inadvertently delay diagnoses of other treatable causes of diarrhea and lead to prescription of unnecessary antibiotics.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study to determine the frequency at which clinicians characterize PTP and disease severity in adult patients who test positive for CD by GIPCR. We organized subjects into cohorts based on the status of their CD PCR, glutamate dehydrogenase enzyme immunoassay (GDH), and toxin A/B detection, as well as by high, moderate, or low CD PTP. We used multivariable regression m

SUBMITTER: Pender M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10498342 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature