Dr. Leonard Mermel, DO, Medical Director of Epidemiology and Infection Control at Rhode Island Hospital, along with research colleagues, identified components in Clostridium difficile that could possibly advance to the development of a rapid lab – diagnostic test. This study will pave way to a new tool that will enable clinicians, especially in both Emergency departments and Urgent Care settings, the ability to rapidly diagnose a patient displaying symptoms of an active C. dfif. infection. The rapid test results will provide an accurate diagnosis, prompt treatment, with hopes of decreasing severe complications associated with a C. diff. infection.

Dr. Leonard Mermel, DO, Medical Director of the Department of Epidemiology and Infection Control at Rhode Island Hospital with academic appointment at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, along with research colleagues; Stephanie L. Angione, Anubhav Tripathi of the Center for Biomedical Engineering at Brown University, Aleksey Novikov, MD, and Jennifer Fieber of Brown University, and Aartik A. Sarma of Harvard Medical School.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-01/l-rhr013014.php