The pitfalls of laboratory diagnostics of Clostridium difficile infection

An update of the diagnostic guidance document for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) issued by the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) [1] was recently reviewed by Gateau et al. [2]. The aim of these publications was to optimize and improve CDI laboratory diagnostic on a global level by defining sample selection, testing algorithms, and interpreting laboratory results [1], [2]. We highlight some recently identified pitfalls that do not affect CDI laboratory diagnosis overall, but could have a significant impact on individual patients.