Table 1.
Patients’ characteristics according to the presence or absence of diarrhoea
|
Patients with diarrhoea |
Patients without diarrhoea |
P value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| (n = 38, 14%) | (n = 240, 86%) | ||
|
At admission |
|
|
|
| Age (years) |
59 ± 17 |
59 ± 16 |
0.839 |
| Gender (male/female) |
17(45)/21 (55) |
155 (65)/85 (35) |
0.019 |
| BMI (kg/m2) |
23.9 ± 4.3 |
25.8 ± 4.7 |
0.029 |
| APACHE II score |
25 ± 7 |
20 ± 8 |
0.003 |
| SAPS II score |
50 ± 17 |
41 ± 17 |
0.004 |
| Medical/surgical |
25 (66)/13 (34) |
143 (60)/97 (40) |
0.467 |
| Diagnosis |
|
|
|
| Gastrointestinal surgery |
4 (11) |
7 (3) |
0.005 |
| Gastrointestinal disease |
2 (5) |
4 (2) |
0.005 |
| Respiratory |
14 (37) |
43 (18) |
0.005 |
| Neurologic |
3 (8) |
43 (18) |
0.005 |
| Cardiac surgery |
3 (8) |
30 (12) |
0.005 |
| Trauma |
2 (5) |
18 (8) |
0.005 |
| Infections (other than respiratory) |
3 (8) |
15 (6) |
0.005 |
| Cardiac arrest |
1 (3) |
14 (6) |
0.005 |
| Myocardial ischemia |
1 (3) |
45 (19) |
0.005 |
| Other |
5 (13) |
21 (9) |
0.005 |
|
During ICU stay |
|
|
|
| Ventilation |
|
|
|
| Invasive |
27 (71) |
133 (55) |
0.070 |
| Non-invasive |
8 (21) |
34 (14) |
0.271 |
| Renal replacement therapy |
3 (8) |
11 (5) |
0.417 |
| Bedsore |
10 (26) |
12 (5) |
<0.001 |
| Length of stay (days) |
15 ± 14 |
6 ± 7 |
<0.001 |
| Death in the ICU | 6 (16) | 27 (11) | 0.421 |
Diarrhoea was defined as at least three liquid or soft stools per day. Values are number (%) or mean ± standard deviation. APACHE, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; BMI, body mass index; SAPS, Simplified Acute Physiology Score.