Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38664689›Full record

ArticleAnnals of clinical microbiology and antimicrobials2024

Clinical outcomes and treatment necessity in patients with toxin-negative Clostridioides difficile stool samples.

Dae Hyeon Cho, Si-Ho Kim, Cheon Hoo Jeon, Hyoung Tae Kim, Kyoung-Jin Park, Junyoung Kim, Jiyeong Kwak, Byung Soo Kwan, Sungmin Kong, Jung Won Lee and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of clinical microbiology and antimicrobials, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.2field-weighted citation impact, top 24% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Implementation of two-stage testing forAntimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2026
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  4. Challenges and Strategies in Managing RecurrentGeriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Article
  5. Three stages of laboratory stewardship in improving appropriateAntimicrobial stewardship & healthcare epidemiology : ASHE · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Dae Hyeon ChoDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Si-Ho KimDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Hapseong-dong, Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon-si, 51353, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea.
Cheon Hoo JeonDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Hapseong-dong, Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon-si, 51353, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea.
Hyoung Tae KimDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Republic of Korea.
Kyoung-Jin ParkDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Republic of Korea.
Junyoung KimDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Jiyeong KwakDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Byung Soo KwanDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Sungmin KongDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Jung Won LeeDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Kwang Min KimDepartment of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Yu Mi WiDivision of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Hapseong-dong, Masanhoewon-gu, Changwon-si, 51353, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea. yumi.wi@samsung.com.
Samsung (South Korea) · KRSungkyunkwan University · KRSamsung Changwon Hospital

Funding

'Songcheon Medical Research Fund', Sungkyunkwan University. 2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe clinical significance of negative toxin enzyme immunoassays (EIA) for Clostridioides difficile infections (CDIs) is unclear. Our study aimed to investigate the significance of toxin EIA-negative in the diagnosis and prognosis of CDI.

methodsAll stool specimens submitted for C. difficile toxin EIA testing were cultured to isolate C. difficile. In-house PCR for tcdA, tcdB, cdtA, and cdtB genes were performed using C. difficile isolates. Stool specimens were tested with C. difficile toxins A and B using EIA kit (RIDASCREEN Clostridium difficile toxin A/B, R-Biopharm AG, Darmstadt, Germany). Characteristics and subsequent CDI episodes of toxin EIA-negative and -positive patients were compared.

resultsAmong 190 C. difficile PCR-positive patients, 83 (43.7%) were toxin EIA-negative. Multivariate analysis revealed independent associations toxin EIA-negative results and shorter hospital stays (OR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.96-0.99, p = 0.013) and less high-risk antibiotic exposure in the preceding month (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.16-0.94, p = 0.035). Toxin EIA-negative patients displayed a significantly lower white blood cell count rate (11.0 vs. 35.4%, p < 0.001). Among the 54 patients who were toxin EIA-negative and did not receive CDI treatment, three (5.6%) were diagnosed with CDI after 7-21 days without complication.

conclusionOur study demonstrates that toxin EIA-negative patients had milder laboratory findings and no complications, despite not receiving treatment. Prolonged hospitalisation and exposure to high-risk antibiotics could potentially serve as markers for the development of toxin EIA-positive CDI.

Indexed as

Bacterial ProteinsBacterial ToxinsClostridioides difficileClostridium InfectionsFecesAdultAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsEnterotoxinsFemaleHumansImmunoenzyme TechniquesMaleMiddle AgedPolymerase Chain ReactionAnti-Bacterial AgentsBacterial ProteinsBacterial ToxinsEnterotoxinstcdA protein, Clostridium difficiletoxB protein, Clostridium difficileClostridioides difficileEnzyme immunoassayPolymerase chain reactionToxin EIA-negative CDIToxin EIA-positive CDI

Identifiers

PMID38664689
PMCPMC11046793
OpenAlexW4395466083

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.