Internal medicine journal
-
Internal medicine journal · Dec 2010
Comparative StudyThe potential value of faecal lactoferrin as a screening test in hospitalized patients with diarrhoea.
Nosocomial diarrhoea is common and its investigation carries a significant healthcare cost. This study aimed to determine the utility of faecal lactoferrin (FL), a readily measurable marker of intestinal inflammation, in hospitalized patients with diarrhoea. ⋯ In hospitalized patients, a normal FL effectively excludes inflammatory diarrhoea and is proposed as a screening test prior to microbiological assessment of faeces. Prospective evaluation of this approach is warranted.