Table 1.
Basic characteristics of the study groups
| Control (n = 11) | Probiotic (n = 11) | |
|---|---|---|
| Male sex (%) | 63.6% | 54.5% |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 22.1 ± 4.2 | 21.9 ± 2.6 |
| Age (yr) | 83.1 ± 10.3 | 80.0 ± 10.2 |
| Length of hospitalization (d) | 14.9 ± 6.9 | 12.1 ± 6.4 |
| NRS score_initial | 3.7 ± 1.8 | 3.6 ± 1.7 |
| NRS score_discharge | 2.9 ± 1.3* | 2.6 ± 0.9* |
| ICU admit (%) | 27.3% | 45.5% |
| Duration of antibiotics therapy (d) | 10.8 ± 2.9 | 10.3 ± 4.4 |
| Numbers of antibiotics | 1.9 ± 0.8 | 2.2 ± 1.0 |
| Antibiotics type, n (%) | ||
| Frequently associated CDI | ||
| Broad-spectrum penicillin | 6 (54.5) | 6 (54.5) |
| Lincosamide | 1 (9.1) | 0 (0.0) |
| 2nd-generation cephalosporin | 3 (27.3) | 4 (36.4) |
| 3rd-generation cephalosporin | 0 (0.0) | 7 (63.6) |
| 4th-generation cephalosporin | 0 (0.0) | 2 (18.2) |
| Occasionally associated CDI | ||
| 1st-generation cephalosporin | 2 (18.2) | 0 (0.0) |
| Macrolide | 3 (27.3) | 1 (9.1) |
| Penicillinase-sensitivity penicillin | 1 (9.1) | 1 (9.1) |
| Rarely associated CDI | ||
| Aminoglycoside | 2 (18.2) | 2 (18.2) |
| Vancomycin | 3 (27.3) | 0 (0.0) |
| Laboratory data | ||
| Hemoglobin (g/dL) | 10.1 ± 1.7 | 11.6 ± 1.9 |
| WBC (103 /uL) | 8.9 ± 3.9 | 10.9 ± 6.6 |
| % of Neutrophil | 70.7 ± 14.8 | 75.9 ± 12.0 |
| % of Lymphocyte | 18.3 ± 11.0 | 13.7 ± 9.3 |
| Cr (mg/dL) | 1.3 ± 1.7 | 0.9 ± 0.6 |
| Albumin (g/dL) | 3.2 ± 0.7 | 3.5 ± 0.8 |
| CRP (mg/dL) | 5.4 ± 4.1 | 6.3 ± 8.7 |
| Na (mEq/L) | 136.0 ± 8.3 | 136.7 ± 10.9 |
| K (mEq/L) | 4.6 ± 1.0 | 3.8 ± 0.4§ |
| CDI occurrence rate | 9.0% | 0.0% |
BMI body mass index, ICU intensive care unit, NRS nutrition screening tools, WBC white blood count, BUN blood urea nitrogen, Cr creatinine, CRP C-reactive protein, CDI Clostridium difficile infection
*p < 0.05 when compared with the NRS socre_initial within group
§p < 0.05 showed significant difference between group