Clostridium Difficile Infection

Diagnosis

Diagnosing Clostridium difficile as early as possible will help avoid complications such as dehydration and an inflamed or ruptured colon. Important points to note: the presence of abdominal pain, whether you've had mucus or blood in your stool and when your diarrhea began.

Based on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor will choose from a number of tests and procedures to identify the source of your problem. Common ones include:

• Stool test for the presence of C. difficile toxin. Mayo Clinic uses the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, the most accurate diagnostic test available.
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy to see if the lining of your colon is inflamed, common with severe C. difficile infection.
• CT scan to detect the presence of complications such as dilation of the bowel, or more rarely, a perforation in the lining of your colon.