Updated Evidence Regarding C. difficile Prevention, Treatment

​Research on Clostridium difficile diagnosis and treatment has "expanded considerably" in the past four years, states a March 2016 comparative effectiveness review from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). For this report, which updates a review published in 2011, the researchers examined 37 studies of diagnostic tests and 56 studies of prevention or treatment interventions from 2010 through April 2015. The review found that nucleic acid amplification tests are highly sensitive and specific for C. difficile infection, as shown by evidence of high strength. For initial *C.