Clostridium difficile, Faeces

Overview
Department	Microbiology
Test Code	CDIF
Synonyms	C.difficile  C.diff
Availability	Monday - Sunday, testing routinely available out of hours
Turnaround Time	1-4 hours
Stability	Specimen stable for 72 hours at 2-8°C
Specimen Requirements
Specimen	Faecal sample in sterile pottle
Preferred	Minimal sample pea size or equivalent
Acceptable
Unacceptable	Specimens older than 72 hours In a PVA preservative
Specimen Transportation	Send fresh faeces to laboratory or store at 4°C
Paediatric Requirements	As above
Aliquot Requirements
Sample
Preferred Volume
Minimum Volume
Aliquot Transportation
Clinical Information
Reference Intervals
Test Method	Rapid Immunoassay
Advanced Notice	Not Required
Patient Preparation	Not Required
Comments