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Test Code CDTEIA C. difficile Toxin A & B

Infectious

Specimen and Container/Tube

Specimen Type: Stool

Preferred Specimen: Sterile, sealable, screw-cap container

Volume

Minimum Volume: 

Solid stool: 1 g

Liquid stool: 5 mL

 

Specimen Stability

Storage Temperature

Stability

Room temperature

(20 - 25°C)

 not acceptable

Refrigerated

(2 - 10°C)

 3 days

Frozen

(-20°C)

not acceptable

Collection Instructions

Specimen Collection: If collected in bedpan, must not be contaminated with urine, residual soap, or disinfectant.


Specimen Transport: Immediate

Specimen Handling and Transport Instructions

UCMC Onsite Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately. 

 

UCMC Offsite and UC MedLab Outreach Instructions: Collect specimen per standard collection procedure and send to laboratory immediately.

Rejection Criteria

  • Common specimen rejected situations include: incorrect specimen type, insufficient volume, incorrect collection container, missing or incomplete specimen identifiers, incorrect specimen transport, or specimens outside stability limits. 
  • Specimens in preservatives or additives will be rejected.
  • Rectal swab samples will be rejected.

Reference Values

 

Test

Age

Sex

Reference Range
C. difficile Toxin A/B

All

All

Negative

Turnaround Time

Turnaround times are relative to the time the specimen is received in the test laboratory. 

STAT Turnaround Time: not available

Routine Turnaround Time: 24 hours

Testing Schedule: Monday - Sunday

Clinical Indications

  • Aid in the detection of both Clostridium difficile toxin A and toxin B in stool samples and serves as a diagnostic aid for identifying C. difficile–associated disease.
  • Meconium may interfere with the C. difficile Toxin A & B assay - do not test specimens from infants less than two years of age.

Methodology

Vidas 3 enzyme immunoassay sandwich method with fluorescent detection

CPT Codes

87324

LOINC Codes

086207

Synonyms/Keyword Search

C DIFF, C DIF, CDIFF, C.DIFF, CDIFF TOXIN, TOXIN A/B, C diff, Feces, Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile; Clostridioides

Last Review Date

2/26/2026