P086 OVER 30% OF SYMPTOMATIC FLARES IN INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE PATIENTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH DETECTABLE GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIOUS AGENTS BY THE BIOFIRE GI PCR PANEL STOOL TEST

GI infections (e.g. C. difficile and CMV) have been shown to worsen inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) activity and result in increased surgeries and hospitalizations. By conventional methods, only 10% of symptomatic IBD patients have detectable concurrent GI infections. Using the BioFire FilmArray GI PCR panel, a stool test capable of detecting 22 enteropathogenic organisms, we investigated the prevalence of GI infections in symptomatic flares of IBD vs. inactive IBD, IBS, and healthy controls and aimed to determine the prevalence and impact of detected infectious agents.