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Clostridium difficile toxin
Also known as: C. difficile, C. diff Formal name: Clostridium difficile toxin Related tests: Stool Culture
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Common Questions
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1. What else can cause diarrhea?
2. Why must the stool sample be fresh?
3. Why shouldn’t I take an over the counter anti-diarrhea medicine when I have diarrhea caused by C. difficile?
4. Once I’ve had a C. difficile infection, can I be re-infected?
5. Are some antibiotics more likely to cause antibiotic-related diarrhea?
1. What else can cause diarrhea?
Diarrhea can be due to a pathogenic bacterial infection, a viral infection, a parasite, food intolerance, certain medications, chronic bowel disorders such as IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), or malabsorption disorders (such as celiac disease). Diarrhea may also be caused or exacerbated by psychological stresses.
2. Why must the stool sample be fresh?
For C. difficile toxin testing, the sample must be fresh because the toxin will break down in one to two hours and may result in a false negative test.
3. Why shouldn’t I take an over the counter anti-diarrhea medicine when I have diarrhea caused by C. difficile?
Anti-diarrhea medicine can slow down the passage of stool through the gastrointestinal tract, increasing the length of time that the colon is exposed to the toxin and increasing tissue damage and inflammation.
4. Once I’ve had a C. difficile infection, can I be re-infected?
Yes, but in the short-term it is generally a case of recurrence of overgrowth and toxin production rather than re-infection; this happens because the normal flora has not reestablished itself fully yet. A patient who has had C. difficile diarrhea may also be at an increased risk of developing a new case of it with future courses of antibiotics.
5. Are some antibiotics more likely to cause antibiotic-related diarrhea?
Almost any antibiotic may lead to diarrhea since the drugs alter the normal population of good bacteria in the bowel. Broad-spectrum antibiotics, which kill many different types of bacteria, are more likely to wipe out normal bowel flora and allow C. difficile to overgrow and produce toxin.
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This article was last reviewed on
December 8, 2007.
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