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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
Reduction in testing and change in testing algorithm associated with decrease in number of nosocomial Clostridioides
Paul P Cook1, Suzy Nichols1, Michael Coogan2
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC.
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of a best practice advisory (BPA) and a change in the Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile testing algorithm on nosocomial C. difficile infection (CDI) rates.
Methods:
This was a retrospective analysis at a tertiary care hospital of adult patients who tested positive for CDI between July 1, 2017 and September 30, 2019. In June 2018, we implemented a BPA in our electronic health record recommending against testing for CDI in patients receiving laxatives. We reviewed the number of C. difficile tests ordered before and after initiating the BPA. In December 2018, we replaced nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) with a cell cytotoxicity assay (CCA) for stool specimens that were enzyme immunoassay toxin negative and glutamate dehydrogenase positive.
Results:
The number of C. difficile tests ordered per month decreased 14% after implementing the BPA (P = .0001). Following this intervention, the rate of nosocomial CDI (nCDI) decreased by 16.5% (P = .33). Following substitution of CCA for NAAT for enzyme immunoassay toxin-/glutamate dehydrogenase+ specimens, there was a 50% reduction in the rate of nCDI (7.1 cases/10,000 patient days to 3.5 cases/10,000 patient days; P < .0001).
Conclusions:
Implementing a BPA to reduce inappropriate testing and changing the testing algorithm for C. difficile by substituting CCA for NAAT resulted in a lower rate of diagnosis of nCDI.
