CHROMagar™ C. difficile, for 5L Medium

CHROMagar™ C. difficile is a highly sensitive and selective fluorogenic culture medium designed for the rapid detection and isolation of Clostridioides difficile (formerly Clostridium difficile), a leading cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea. This medium simplifies and accelerates the culture process, providing results in just 24 hours and enabling healthcare facilities to better manage and prevent C. difficile outbreaks.

Key Features

1. Fluorogenic Differentiation:
   • Detects C. difficile colonies under UV light, allowing easy identification based on fluorescence.
2. High Sensitivity and Selectivity:
   • Optimized to suppress competing flora, ensuring reliable detection of C. difficile in stool samples.
3. Rapid Results:
   • Enables the growth and identification of C. difficile within 24 hours of anaerobic incubation, faster than traditional culture methods.
4. Simplifies Workflow:
   • Reduces the complexity of C. difficile detection by using a direct and efficient culture approach.

Applications

1. Healthcare Surveillance:
   • Assists in detecting C. difficile colonization to prevent and control outbreaks in healthcare facilities.
2. Microbial Research:
   • Supports strain typing and antimicrobial susceptibility testing, essential for understanding toxigenic and multidrug-resistant C. difficile strains.
3. Clinical Microbiology:
   • Aids in the isolation and identification of C. difficile from stool samples for epidemiological studies.

How It Works

• Sample: Stool specimens from patients with suspected C. difficile colonization or infection.
• Inoculation: Spread stool samples directly onto CHROMagar™ C. difficile plates.
• Incubation:
  • Anaerobic conditions.
  • Temperature: 35–37°C.
  • Duration: 24 hours.
• Detection:
  • Examine plates under UV light to identify fluorescent colonies indicative of C. difficile.

Intended Use

• Designed to qualitatively detect gastrointestinal colonization with Clostridioides difficile to aid in infection prevention and control in healthcare settings.
• Not for diagnostic purposes: Does not diagnose infections or guide treatment decisions. Confirmatory testing is required for clinical diagnoses.

Advantages

1. Enhanced Speed:
   • Results available in 24 hours, reducing time to detection compared to traditional methods.
2. High Specificity:
   • Detects C. difficile with minimal interference from other microorganisms.
3. Fluorescence-Based Identification:
   • Simplifies interpretation with distinct fluorescent colonies under UV light.
4. Supports Epidemiological Studies:
   • Essential for strain typing and monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends.

Limitations

• The absence of growth or fluorescent colonies does not exclude the presence of C. difficile.
• Further microbiological or molecular testing is required to confirm identity and assess virulence or susceptibility.

Storage and Stability

• Storage Conditions: Store the medium in a dry, cool environment at 15–30°C.
• Shelf Life: Refer to the product packaging for specific expiration dates.

Why Use CHROMagar™ C. difficile?

• Combat Nosocomial Infections: Helps detect C. difficile colonization early to prevent the spread in healthcare settings.
• Comprehensive Testing: Complements PCR by providing cultured isolates for strain typing and susceptibility testing.
• Efficiency and Accuracy: Combines rapid results with high specificity to streamline C. difficile monitoring and research.

CHROMagar™ C. difficile is an essential tool for healthcare institutions and microbiology laboratories aiming to address the challenges posed by Clostridioides difficile infections. It supports effective surveillance and outbreak management with its rapid, sensitive, and selective fluorogenic detection system.

1. High sensitivity and specificity: 

2. Rapid detection compared to traditional media: Big colonies (around 2 mm) of C. difficile after only 24 h of incubation in anaerobic atmosphere, contrary to traditional media requiring 48 h.

3. Polyvalence: This medium can be used for clinical specimens as well as environmental samples.

Composition