Usefulness of Fecal Calprotectin in the Management of Patients with Toxigenic <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>

Abstract

The availability of highly sensitive molecular tests for the detection of Clostridioides difficile in feces leads to overtreatment of patients who are probably only colonized. In this prospective study, the usefulness of fecal calprotectin (fCP) is evaluated in a cohort of patients with detection of toxigenic C. difficile in feces. Patients were classified by an infectious diseases consultant blinded to fCP results into three groups—group I, presumed Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI); group II, doubtful but treated CDI; and group III, presumed C. difficile colonization or self-limited CDI not needing treatment. One hundred and thirty-four patients were included. The median fCP concentrations were 410 (138–815) μg/g in group I, 188 (57–524) μg/g in group II, and 51 (26–97) μg/g in group III (26 cases); p C. difficile, and should be investigated as a potentially useful test in the management of patients with detected toxigenic C. difficile.

Keywords

• <i>Clostridioides difficile</i>
• fecal calprotectin
• <i>Clostridioides</i> infection