Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) Practice Exam 2025 – The All-in-One Guide for Exam Success

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What type of specimen is required for testing C. diff?

Solid stool sample

Liquid stool sample

Testing for Clostridioides difficile, commonly referred to as C. diff, specifically requires a liquid stool sample rather than a solid stool sample. The reason for this is that the presence of C. diff toxins, which are critical for diagnosis, is more likely to be detected in liquid stools. This is primarily because C. diff typically causes a distinctive type of diarrhea characterized by watery stools.

Solid stool might not yield a sufficient quantity of the necessary toxins and may not represent the active infection state. Blood samples are irrelevant for diagnosing C. diff, as the pathogen is not systemic in nature and is localized in the intestines. Urine samples are also not applicable because C. diff infections do not involve the urinary tract. Therefore, liquid stool samples are the most appropriate and effective specimen type for accurate testing and diagnosis of C. diff.

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Blood sample

Urine sample

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