Table 1.

Classification of CDI by Severity for Determining Appropriate Therapy^10,11,88

Clinical Severity	Clinical Findings
Nonsevere illness (mild to moderate)	Must have all: Nonbloody diarrhea (passage of <6 watery stools/day), afebrile, mild abdominal pain, creatinine level <1.5 × baseline, and WBC <15,000/mm3
Severe illness	Must have at least one: Advanced age, mental changes, serum albumin ≤2.5 g/dL, WBC >15,000/mm3, creatinine level >1.5 × baseline, or abdominal tenderness and ileus
Severe complicated illness	Must have at least one: Hypotension/shock with serum lactate levels >2.2 mmol/L, need for ICU confinement for CDI, organ failure, or WBC ≥35,000/mm3 or <2000/mm3

CDI, Clostridium difficile infection; ICU, intensive care unit; WBC, white blood cells.