ANTIBIOTIC-ASSOCIATED DIARRHEA AND COLITIS
Clostridium difficile is the major cause of nosocomial diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. The disease occurs once the normal microflora of the intestinal tract is altered or killed by antibiotics making opportunistic infection of C. difficile possible. Once growth begins, toxins A and B are produced resulting in diarrhea and colitis. The disease can be treated with metronidazole or vancomycin, but relapses occur in about 20% of patients that develop the infection. TECHLAB® produces a panel of in vitro diagnostics for detecting C. difficile in fecal specimens from patients suspected of having the disease. C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II™ is a 96-well ELISA that can be performed in 1-hour in the regular format or 30-minutes in the rapid format. This product is recommended over tests that detect only toxin A because toxin A-negative/toxin B-positive isolates associated with clinical disease have been identified. The C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II™ detects both toxins in fecal specimens and detects the presence of these variant strains. C. DIFFICILE TOX-B TEST and the C. difficile Toxin/Antitoxin Kit are also available, and can be used to detect toxin in fecal specimens.
C. DIFF CHEK™ -60 detects the presence of C. difficile antigen in fecal specimens. It is a 96-well ELISA that can be performed in 60 minutes. C. DIFF CHEK™ -60 is an ideal screening test to use before samples are analyzed for the presence of toxins.
TECHLAB® also offers an optional fecal collection/dilution device, the STOOL-PREP™, which can be used with the C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II™ test. The STOOL-PREP™ streamlines fecal processing, preparing the sample dilution, filtering the feces, and allowing you to store the ready-to-test sample in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also requires less contact with the fecal specimen, making testing safer.
Clostridium perfringens is also being recognized as a cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. To aid in the diagnosis of antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by C. perfringens, we offer the C. PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXIN TEST. This test is only available for overseas use.
For more information, please select a diagnostic below:
T5000 - C. difficile Toxin/Antitoxin Kit
T5003 - C. DIFFICILE TOX-B TEST
T5006 - C. PERFRINGENS ENTEROTOXIN TEST - For Investigational Use Only
T5015 - C. DIFFICILE TOX A/B II™
T5025 - C. DIFF CHEK™ -60
T5029 - C. DIFF QUIK CHEK®
T5033 - TOX A/B QUIK CHEK®
T9015 - STOOL-PREP™