TABLE 1.
Clinical characteristics
| Characteristic | Data for treatment courses in: |
P | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All patients (n = 50) | Patients requiring CCU stay (n = 20) | Patients on general medicine floors (n = 30) | ||
| Age (mean [SD]) (yr) | 61 (19) | 57 (18) | 64 (19) | 0.294 |
| Male patients (no. [%]) | 23 (46) | 13 (65) | 10 (33) | 0.056 |
| Comorbidity (no. [%]) | ||||
| Diabetes mellitus | 8 (16) | 5 (25) | 3 (10) | 0.24 |
| Malignancy | 25 (50) | 6 (30) | 19 (63) | 0.043 |
| Liver disease | 13 (26) | 8 (40) | 5 (17) | 0.13 |
| Chronic renal insufficiency | 17 (34) | 5 (25) | 12 (40) | 0.428 |
| Cardiovascular disease | 25 (50) | 9 (45) | 16 (53) | 0.773 |
| Transplant recipients (no. [%]) | 26 (52) | 11 (55) | 15 (50) | 0.954 |
| Corticosteroid/immunosuppressive medications (no. [%]) | 24 (48) | 12 (60) | 12 (40) | 0.272 |
| Length of stay (median [IQR]) (days) | 19 (8–29) | 17.5 (7–27) | 18.5 (9–31) | 0.428 |
| CCU length of stay (median [IQR]) (days) | 9 (6–20) | 9.5 (6–21) | 6a | 0.26 |
| Time from hospital admission to CDI (median [IQR]) (days) | 2 (2–9) | 3 (2–9) | 2 (1–8) | 0.127 |
| CDI initial episode (no. [%]) | 23 (46) | 14 (70) | 9 (30) | 0.013 |
| NAP1 strain (no. of patients/total no. of patients [%]) | 21/49 (43)b | 8/19 (42) | 13/30 (43) | 1 |
| CDI severity at fidaxomicin start (no. [%]) | ||||
| Mild to moderate | 23 (52) | 8 (40) | 8 (60) | 0.272 |
| Severe | 13 (26) | 4 (20) | 9 (30) | 0.645 |
| Severe complicated | 11 (22) | 8 (40) | 3 (10) | 0.031 |
| Presence of pseudomembranous colitis/megacolon/pancolitis | 13 (26) | 9 (45) | 4 (13) | 0.645 |
| Clinical measures at fidaxomicin start | ||||
| Albumin (median [IQR]; no. of patients) (g/dl) | 2.5 (2–3); 38 | 2.1 (1.9–3.1); 17 | 2.6 (2.1–3.1); 21 | 0.281 |
| WBC (cells/µl) | 8.6 (5.5–15) | 11.9 (7.2–16.8) | 7.3 (4.8–12.5) | 0.073 |
| SCr (median [IQR]; no. of patients) (mg/dl) | 1.2 (0.7–2.2); 49 | 1.4 (0.8–2.2); 20 | 1.0 (0.7–2.4); 29 | 0.5 |
| Fever (no. [%]) | 8 (16) | 5 (25) | 3 (10) | 0.24 |
| Bowel movements per day (median [IQR]; no. of patients) | 3 (2.5); 32 | 4 (2–5); 14 | 4 (2–6); 18 | 0.925 |
| Hypotension/septic shock (no. [%]) | 8 (16) | 7 (35) | 1 (4) | 0.005 |
| Concurrent antibiotics (no. [%]) | 36 (72) | 19 (95) | 17 (56.7) | 0.008 |
| Penicillins | 16 (32) | 7 (35) | 9 (30) | 0.951 |
| Cephalosporins | 13 (26) | 7 (35) | 6 (20) | 0.392 |
| Carbapenems | 14 (28) | 10 (50) | 4 (13.3) | 0.012 |
| Other | 8 (16) | 5 (25) | 3 (10) | 0.24 |
a
Two patients stayed 6 days each in the CCU during their hospitalization, but not during the fidaxomicin treatment course.
b
NAP1 status was unknown for one CCU patient.