Five days after admission to the hospital for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, a 76-year-old man develops watery diarrhea and cramping lower abdominal pain. Today, he has had three episodes of foul-smelling, nonbloody diarrhea without nausea or vomiting. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. His medications include lisinopril, atorvastatin, cefotaxime, and clarithromycin. His temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F), pulse is 95/min, respirations are 16/min, and blood pressure is 140/85 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 97%. Crackles are heard over the right lower lung base. Abdominal examination shows mild tenderness throughout the lower quadrants. Stool testing for occult blood is negative. Which of the following is the single best stool test to establish the cause of this patient's diarrhea?

Question

Five days after admission to the hospital for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia, a 76-year-old man develops watery diarrhea and cramping lower abdominal pain. Today, he has had three episodes of foul-smelling, nonbloody diarrhea without nausea or vomiting. He has hypertension and hyperlipidemia. His medications include lisinopril, atorvastatin, cefotaxime, and clarithromycin. His temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F), pulse is 95/min, respirations are 16/min, and blood pressure is 140/85 mm Hg. Pulse oximetry on room air shows an oxygen saturation of 97%. Crackles are heard over the right lower lung base. Abdominal examination shows mild tenderness throughout the lower quadrants. Stool testing for occult blood is negative.  Which of the following is the single best stool test to establish the cause of this patient's diarrhea?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Clostridium difficile commonly presents with diarrhea and abdominal pain; hospitalization and antibiotic use increase the risk of contracting the disease.  A nucleic acid amplication test is considered the most sensitive method for diagnosis of C difficile infection in patients with clinical symptoms.

Five Days After Admission to the Hospital for Treatment of Community-Acquired