Quantification of Clostridium difficile in Antibiotic-Associated-Diarrhea Patients

Comparing culture- and non-culture-based methods for quantifying Clostridium difficile in antibiotic-associated- diarrhea patients, we found that the real-time PCR method correlated well with quantitative culture and was more sensitive. A positive association between the population levels of C. difficile and the presence of its toxins was found.