Laboratory Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile Infection in Korea: The First National Survey
10.3343/alm.2019.39.3.317
- Author:
Hae Sun CHUNG
1
;
Jeong Su PARK
;
Bo Moon SHIN
Author Information
1. Department of Laboratory Medicine, Ewha Womans University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Brief Communication
- Keywords:
Clostridium difficile infection;
Laboratory diagnosis;
Toxin AB enzyme immunoassay;
Nucleic acid amplification test;
Culture;
Survey;
Korea
- MeSH:
Clinical Laboratory Techniques;
Clostridium difficile;
Clostridium;
Glutamate Dehydrogenase;
Immunoenzyme Techniques;
Korea;
Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques
- From:Annals of Laboratory Medicine
2019;39(3):317-321
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
In May 2015, we conducted a voluntary online survey on laboratory diagnostic assays for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) across clinical microbiology laboratories in Korea. Responses were obtained from 66 laboratories, including 61 hospitals and five commercial laboratories. Among them, nine laboratories reported having not conducted CDI assays. The toxin AB enzyme immunoassay (toxin AB EIA), nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), and C. difficile culture, alone or in combination with other assays, were used in 51 (89.5%), 37 (64.9%), and 37 (64.9%) of the remaining 57 laboratories, respectively, and 23 (40.4%) of the laboratories performed all three assays. Only one laboratory used the glutamate dehydrogenase assay. Nine laboratories used the toxin AB EIA as a stand-alone assay. The median (range) of examined specimens in one month for the toxin AB EIA, NAAT, and C. difficile culture was 160 (50–2,060), 70 (7–720), and 130 (9–750), respectively. These findings serve as valuable basic data regarding the current status of laboratory diagnosis of CDI in Korea, offering guidance for improved implementation.
