Linked Life Data

9409120

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/9409120

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
11
pubmed:dateCreated
1998-1-15
pubmed:abstractText
This retrospective study was designed to assess the roles of stool culture for Clostridium difficile, detection of the presence of toxin A, and endoscopic examination in the diagnosis of Clostridium difficile-associated disease (CDAD). From January 1994 through September 1996, there were 213 patients with stool cultures positive for C. difficile in National Taiwan University Hospital. Of these, 126 had CDAD. There were 87 asymptomatic carriers of C. difficile in our study, 12 of whom were positive for toxin A. In addition, seven patients with pseudomembranous colitis (PMC), who were either culture-negative or not tested, were included in the study. The positive predictive values of stool cultures for CDAD and PMC were 59% and 32%, respectively. The positive predictive values of toxin A for CDAD and PMC were 41% and 43%, respectively. Seventy-eight patients (59%) improved with supportive treatment after discontinuing antibiotics. We concluded that stool culture for C. difficile and discontinuation of antibiotics should be the standard approach for patients with suspected CDAD. Endoscopic studies can eliminate some other possible causes of diarrhea such as inflammatory bowel disease, allow biopsies of suspicious lesions, and reveal the severity of CDAD. Toxin assay results need to be interpreted together with the clinical data.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Nov
pubmed:issn
0929-6646
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
96
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
879-83
pubmed:dateRevised
2004-11-17
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
1997
pubmed:articleTitle
Diagnostic role of endoscopy, stool culture, and toxin A in Clostridium difficile-associated disease.
pubmed:affiliation
Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, ROC.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article