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Selective and differential medium for isolation of Clostridium difficile.
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|February 1, 1979
Summary
A new culture medium, CCFA, effectively isolates Clostridium difficile, a cause of colitis and diarrhea. This selective medium aids in rapid screening of patient samples for C. difficile.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Clinical Diagnostics
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Clostridium difficile causes pseudomembranous colitis and antimicrobial agent-induced diarrhea.
- Accurate isolation of C. difficile from fecal specimens is crucial for diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a selective and differential agar medium for C. difficile isolation.
- To compare the efficacy of the new medium against existing selective media.
Main Methods:
- Development of a cycloserine, cefoxitin, fructose, and egg yolk (CCFA) agar medium.
- Quantitative cultures of C. difficile stock strains and clinical fecal specimens.
- Comparison of CCFA with other selective media for clostridia.
Main Results:
- CCFA yielded C. difficile counts equivalent to blood agar for stock strains.
- Other tested media were inhibitory to C. difficile growth.
- CCFA demonstrated superior sensitivity and selectivity for C. difficile recovery from clinical specimens.
Conclusions:
- CCFA is a highly effective medium for isolating C. difficile.
- Distinctive colony morphology and fluorescence on CCFA allow presumptive identification.
- CCFA offers a rapid screening method for C. difficile in patients with associated diarrhea or colitis.