Health Highlights: Nov. 2, 2008

Nov. 3 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Tests for Dangerous Gut Bug Unreliable: Study

Screens currently used by hospitals to detect C. difficile, a potentially lethal gut infection, are unreliable, according to a study from researchers in the U.K.

C. difficile is a hospital-acquired infection that can lead to severe inflammation of the bowel and diarrhea; it is fatal in up to 15 percent of cases. The bacteria is especially dangerous in patients receiving antiobiotics, because these drugs upset the gut's normal balance, allowing the bug to thrive.

Reporting early online and in the December print issue of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers led by Sanjeev Krishna, of St. George's University of London and St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust, reviewed the accuracy of currently available test kits used to spot C. difficile.

They found that the tests had a rate of false-positive results ranging from 3 to 45 percent, while the rate for missing a true positive ranged from 5 to 24 percent. Misdiagnosis can have severe consequences for patients, the researchers note, including the inappropriate cessation of antiobiotics in patients fighting other illnesses, or inappropriate treatment for C. difficile.

"No assay reliably fulfilled the criteria we preset for an acceptable single test to detect [C. difficile]," the researchers wrote.

To remedy the situation, the researchers propose a new two-stage testing system: First, a highly sensitive stool sample would quickly identify nearly all positives, and then a second test would be conducted to rule out any false positive result. "We are currently evaluating such a testing scheme in our department," the scientists say.

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FDA OKs New Drug for Overactive Bladder

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved a new drug to help people who struggle with an overactive bladder.

The drug, Toviaz (fesoterodine fumarate), made by German manufacturer Schwarz Pharma, works by relaxing the smooth muscle tissue of the bladder, reducing frequent urination, the urge to urinate, and sudden urinary incontinence, the Associated Press reported.