Rational protocols for testing faeces in the investigation of sporadic hospital-acquired diarrhoea.

Many recent studies have demonstrated that routine examination of faeces for conventional enteric pathogens such as salmonella, shigella, campylobacter and parasites in patients who develop sporadic hospital-acquired diarrhoea is unnecessary and wasteful. In this paper the advantages and disadvantages of a restricted testing protocol in patients with hospital-acquired diarrhoea are reviewed. Practical issues for safe implementation of such a protocol are also discussed. Copyright 2001 The Hospital Infection Society.