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. 2023 Dec 13;24:267. doi: 10.1186/s12875-023-02213-3

Table 3.

Diagnostic and treatment actions reported by healthcare providers of patients with acute diarrhea or shigellosis

Responses among HCP who regularly treat patients with acute diarrhea or shigellosis
N (%)
Chi-square p-value
Acute diarrheaa
1287 (85.6)
Shigellosisb
391 (26.0)
When you provide a consult for a patient with acute diarrhea, do you routinely: Select all that apply
 Ask about sexual practicesc 239 (18.6) 111 (28.4)  < 0.01
 Provide sexual health educationc 112 (8.7) 67 (17.1)  < 0.01
 Use a culture-independent diagnostic test 375 (29.1) 166 (42.5)  < 0.01
 Request a stool culture 826 (64.2) 270 (69.1) 0.08
 Request antibiotic susceptibility testingd 166 (20.1) 90 (33.3)  < 0.01
 Treat with antibiotics 234 (18.2) 116 (29.7)  < 0.01
 None of these 315 (24.5) 46 (11.8)  < 0.01
To whom do you usually prescribe antibiotics?e Select all that apply
 International travelers 602 (46.8) 202 (51.7) 0.09
 Hospitalized patients 426 (33.1) 218 (55.8)  < 0.01
 Men who have sex with men 185 (14.5) 116 (29.7)  < 0.01
 Adults 232 (18.0) 184 (47.1)  < 0.01
 Children 127 (9.9) 150 (38.7)  < 0.01
 None of these 391 (30.4) 21 (5.4)  < 0.01

Abbreviations: HCP, healthcare providers

Boldface indicates statistical significance (p < 0.05)

aHCP who report treating patients with acute diarrhea at least once per week (N = 1297)

bHCP who report treating patients with positive Shigella tests at least once per month (N = 391)

cIncludes pediatricians

dAmong those who routinely request a stool culture

eFor the analysis of HCP who regularly treat patients with acute diarrhea, this question was phrased, “Which of the following types of patients with acute diarrhea do you usually treat empirically with antibiotics before a pathogen is identified?”. For the analysis of HCP who regularly treat patients with positive Shigella tests, this question was phrased, “Among patients with a positive test for Shigella, to whom do you usually prescribe antibiotics?”

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