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Clostridium Difficile Toxin (Stool)Toxina de Clostridium Difficile (en heces)

Clostridium Difficile Toxin (Stool)

Does this test have other names?

C. diff, C. difficile

What is this test?


Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract is home to many healthy bacteria, and sometimes C. difficile is one of them. But in some cases, taking broad-spectrum antibiotics can upset the balance of healthy bacteria in your gut and cause new or antibiotic-resistant strains of C. difficile to grow out of control. These germs can then release toxins into your GI tract, inflaming the colon and causing continuing diarrhea. The resulting illness can be serious, even life-threatening, if you have a weak immune system.


Why do I need this test?

Your doctor might order this test if you have any of these symptoms, especially if you are in the hospital or were recently taking antibiotics:


  • Blood or mucus in your stool


What other tests might I have along with this test?

Your healthcare provider might order other stool tests to look for C. difficile infection, such as a glutamate dehydrogenase, or GDH, test and a stool culture test.

If your stool tests are negative, but your doctor still strongly suspects C. difficile infection, you may have a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to help make a diagnosis. In this procedure, a doctor examines your colon with a very thin, flexible lighted tube that is equipped with a tiny video camera on the end.


What do my test results mean?



If your stool tests positive for C. difficile toxins, your doctor may decide that you have antibiotic-associated colitis, or inflammation of the colon.

How is this test done?


Does this test pose any risks?

This test poses no known risks.

What might affect my test results?

Contaminating the stool sample with toilet water, urine, or other substances can make it unfit for testing or skew the results.

How do I get ready for this test?

You don't need to prepare for this test.