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Finding
Finding
adverse
PCR testing for C. difficile detected more than twice as many positive cases as the toxin test (293 vs 131), but toxin-negative/PCR-positive patients had lower bacterial loads, less inflammation, and clinical outcomes (median 2 days diarrhea) comparable to patients negative by both tests, indicating that PCR testing leads to overdiagnosis.
| Effect size | PCR detected 2x more C. difficile than toxin test; only 44.7% of PCR-positive were toxin-positive; toxin-/PCR+ patients had outcomes similar to double-negative patients |
| Follow-up | 2 years |
| Comparator | Toxin test alone as the diagnostic standard |
| Effect summary | adverse; PCR detected 2x more C. difficile than toxin test; only 44.7% of PCR-positive were toxin-positive; toxin-/PCR+ patients had outcomes similar to double-negative patients |
| Adverse events | 2 days diarrhea |
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