Preferred Sample Type
Turnaround Time
2 daysClostridium difficile
Patient Preparation
Instructions for patient self-collection of faeces sample:PATIENT SELF COLLECTED STOOL
Instructions for faeces sample collection in hospital:
- Ask patient to defaecate into a clinically clean bedpan or receiver.
- If the patient has been incontinent: a sample may be obtained from bedlinen or pads: try to avoid contamination with urine.
- Using the integrated ‘spoon’ in the sample pot lid, scoop enough faecal material to fill a third of the specimen container.
- Apply specimen container lid securely.
- Label sample and complete microbiology request form (including relevant information such as onset and duration of diarrhoea, fever or recent foreign travel).
- Dispatch sample to the laboratory as soon as possible or refrigerate at 4–8°C and dispatch within 12 hours.
Notes
Please do not send faeces sample requesting clostridium difficile that have been positive in the past seven days or faeces sample that are formed they will be rejected.
Samples positive within 28 days of C.difficile toxin or gene detection will not be repeated.
PHE Microbiology provide a service for C. difficile toxin testing on stool samples. We also are able to provide a C. difficile PCR Ribotyping service centralised to PHE CDRN Reference Centre at Leeds. All trusts C. difficile PCR Ribotyping requests will be forwarded to the CDRN Reference Centre at Leeds.
For further information, please contact:
CDRN Reference Laboratory, Public Health England Leeds, Laboratory Department of Microbiology, Old Medical School, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds LS1 3EX, W. Yorks., UK.
Tel: 0113 3928663 (Lab): 0113 392 7134
Specifications
- EQA Scheme?: Yes
- EQA Status: NEQAS