Table 2.
Characteristics and outcomes of treated and untreated patients with discordant tests
| Characteristics | All (n = 155) | Treated (n = 103) | Untreated (n = 52) | P-Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographic Information | ||||
| Gender, male | 79 (51.0%) | 50 (48.5%) | 29 (55.8%) | 0.40 |
| Median age (years) | 55 (27–71) | 56 (27.5–71) | 51 (26-69.5) | 0.71 |
| Laboratory Data | ||||
| Median WBC (103 cells/mL) (n = 91) | 8.75 (5.76–12.5) |
9.68 (6.32–13.2) (n = 62) |
7.61 (5.76–11.1) (n = 29) |
0.28 |
| Median serum albumin (g/dL) (n = 76) | 3.6 (3.1–4.1) |
3.6 (3-4.1) (n = 45) |
3.6 (3.25–4.1) (n = 31) |
0.76 |
| Median serum creatinine (mg/dL) (n = 91) | 0.89 (0.65–1.29) |
0.95 (0.68–1.42) (n = 59) |
0.84 (0.62–1.06) (n = 32) |
0.09 |
| Risk factors for CDI | ||||
| Antibiotic use within 30 days (n = 143) | 71 (49.7%) |
45 (48.9%) (n = 92) |
26 (51.0%) (n = 51) |
0.81 |
| History of CDI (n = 154) | 20 (13.0%) | 12 (11.7%) (n = 103) |
8 (15.7%) (n = 51) |
0.60 |
| Clinical Features | ||||
| Laxative use (n = 147) | 23 (15.6%) |
16 (16.2%) (n = 48) |
7 (14.6%) (n = 99) |
0.81 |
| Median daily stool count (n = 105) | 4 (2–6) |
4 (3–7) (n = 68) |
3 (1–5) (n = 37) |
0.02 |
| Severe CDI* (n = 91) | 17 (18.7%) |
14 (23.3%) (n = 60) |
3 (9.7%) (n = 31) |
0.16 |
| Gastroenterology consulted | 54 (34.8%) | 33 (32.0%) | 21 (40.4%) | 0.30 |
| Infectious disease consulted | 23 (14.8%) | 17 (16.5%) | 6 (11.5%) | 0.48 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Median length of stay (days) (n = 69) | 9 (3.5–18.5) |
10 (4.5–25) (n = 47) |
6 (3.5–12.5) (n = 22) |
0.23 |
| Mortality at 30 days (n = 143) | 6 (4.2%) | 3 (3.2%)(n = 94) | 3 (6.1%) (n = 49) | 0.67 |
| Readmission for CDI at 30 days (n = 154) | 2 (1.3%) |
2 (2.0%) (n = 102) |
0 (0%) (n = 52) |
0.55 |
All data expressed as number (%) or median (IQR)
*White blood cell count > 15,000 cells/mL and/or serum creatinine ≥ 1.5 mg/dL