Background
Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive anaerobe. Infection with C. difficile causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. C. difficile infection is induced in patients by long-term treatment with antibiotics and is commonly found in hospital environments. It is easily transmitted through contact with infected fecal matter. Accurate testing for toxins have proven to be difficult in the past due to assays having low sensitivity. Since all strains of C. difficile produce large amounts of glutamate dehydrogenase, testing for this antigen has proven to be a better screening tool due to its higher negative predictive value.
