Table 2.
Test | Sensitivity (%) | Specificity (%) | PPV | NPV |
Enzyme immunoassay | 73 | 98 | 73 | 98 |
Real-time PCR | 93 | 97 | 76 | 99 |
Cell culture assay | 77 | 97 | 70 | 98 |
Anaerobic culture for toxigenic C. difficile strains | 100 | 96 | 68 | 100 |
Peterson LR, Manson RU, Paule SM, Hacek DM, Robicsek A, Thomson RB Jr, Kaul KL. Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in stool samples by real-time polymerase chain reaction for the diagnosis of C. difficile-associated diarrhea. Clin Infect Dis 2007; 45(9): 1152-1160.