A comparison of culture methods and polymerase chain reaction in detecting Clostridioides difficile from hospital surfaces

. Environmental surveillance for is challenging. There are no internationally agreed recommendations on which method should be used when environmental surveillance is undertaken. . To compare the detection of by RT-PCR to culture-based methods and to determine which is more sensitive and specific in the clinical environment. . Forty-four near-patient areas of -positive patients were sampled using contact plates and moistened flocked swabs. . Detection using moistened flocked swabs followed by RT-PCR or culture detected more than contact plates. The sensitivity and specificity of a RT-PCR assay for compared to the culture methods was 76 and 91 %, respectively. . Despite the lower sensitivity and specificity, RT-PCR could potentially offer a more rapid and practical alternative.