American Society for Microbiology
View all recommendations from this societyAugust 5 2020
Do not routinely test >1 stool specimen per week for Clostridioides difficile by Nucleic-acid Amplification Test (NAAT).
Repeat testing using NAAT (within 7 days) for Clostridioides difficile is not recommended when the symptoms represent a single episode of diarrheal illness. Studies have shown that repeat testing using NAAT within a seven day period yield only a 2% diagnostic yield. Exceptions should only be made in the setting of an institutional epidemic or when C. difficile infection is highly suspected with no alternative diagnosis, but for which the initial test is negative and symptoms persist or worsen.
These items are provided solely for informational purposes and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their physician.
American Society of Microbiology in partnership with the Five Things Physicians and Patients Should Question
How The List Was Created
The American Society for Microbiology’s (ASM) list was developed under the leadership of the ASM’s Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Committee. The subject matter experts who identified the list and formulated the recommendations are laboratory directors at academic, commercial and public health laboratories and test utilization experts across the fields of microbiology and laboratory medicine. They worked together to identify a list of diagnostic and management decisions that have resulted in misuse of laboratory studies and resources. The five experts independently ranked the recommendations in order of priority and identified tests or procedures commonly used whose necessity should be questioned and discussed with patients. The experts formulated recommendations based on laboratory practice, evidence and an extensive review of the literature.
Five recommendations to address the most common clinical microbiology laboratory test misconceptions were written. They consist of diagnostic tests or treatments that are commonly ordered, expensive and have no evidence to illustrate its value and in some cases, may be potentially harmful to the patient. The recommendations, if instituted, would result in higher quality care, lower costs, and more effective use of our laboratory resources and personnel. The experts involved in this project are Sheldon Campbell, Marc Couturier, Omai Garner, Duane Newton, Preeti Pancholi and Linoj Samuel.
The recommendations were vetted and approved by ASM’s Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Committee.
The list has also been reviewed and approved by the ASCP Effective Test Utilization Committee.
Sources
McDonald LC, Gerding DN, Johnson S, Bakken JS, Carroll KC, Coffin SE, Dubberke ER, Garey KW, Gould CV, Kelly C, Loo V, Shaklee Sammons J, Sandora TJ, Wilcox MH. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults and Children: 2017 Update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Mar 19;66(7):987-994.
Luo RF, Banaei N. Is repeat PCR needed for diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection? J Clin Microbiol 2010; 48:3738–41.
Surawicz CM, Brandt LJ, Binion DG, et al. Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Clostridium difficile infections. Am J Gastroenterol 2013; 108:478–98.
