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. 2018 Jun 25;190(25):E758–E765. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.180013

Table 1:

Patient characteristics, clinical results and severe outcomes of 17 202 adults diagnosed with health care–associated Clostridium difficile infection from 2009 to 2015*

Variable 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2009–2015
Year-round surveillance
No. of hospitals 42 44 46 45 45 51 53
No. of patients 1627 2307 2795 2645 2746 2593 2489 17 202
Sex, female, no. (%) 766 (48.0) 1178 (51.3) 1456 (52.3) 1275 (48.4) 1350 (49.2) 1270 (49.0) 1216 (48.9) 8511 (49.7)
Age, yr, mean ± SD 69.6 ± 16.2 70.4 ± 16.4 69.4 ± 17.1 69.7 ± 16.6 68.9 ± 17.0 68.2 ± 17.1 68.1 ± 16.8 69.2 ± 16.8
Age group, yr, no. (%)
 18–64 534 (32.8) 723 (31.4) 961 (34.4) 851 (34.5) 947 (34.5) 939 (36.2) 923 (37.1) 5878 (34.2)
 ≥ 65 1092 (67.2) 1580 (68.6) 1830 (65.6) 1793 (67.8) 1796 (65.5) 1654 (63.8) 1566 (62.9) 11 311 (65.8)
Time to C. difficile test from the date of admission, d, median (IQR) 13 (6–30) 13 (6–27) 12 (6–27) 12 (6–26) 12 (7–25) 12 (7–25) 10 (5–21) 12 (6–26)
Patients diagnosed with health care–associated C. difficile infection on readmission, no. (%) 170 (10.4) 296 (12.8) 336 (12.0) 301 (11.4) 405 (14.7) 333 (12.8) 421 (16.9) 2262 (13.1)
March and April targeted surveillance
No. of cases 559 478 564 532 543 531 477 3684
Clinical results
 Temperature, °C, mean ± SD 37.1 ± 0.8 37.1 ± 0.8 37.1 ± 0.8 37.2 ± 0.8 37.0 ± 0.7 37.2 ± 0.8 37.2 ± 0.7 37.1 ± 0.8
 Leukocyte count, ×109/L, median (IQR) 13.0 (8.3–18.4) 11.3 (8.0–16.2) 11.1 (7.0–16.6) 11.2 (7.7–16.5) 10.9 (7.0–16.5) 11.3 (7.4–16.8) 12.3 (7.7–17.7) 11.5 (7.7–16.9)
 Albumin, g/L, median (IQR) 26.0 (21.0–30.0) 27.0 (22.0–31.0) 27.0 (22.0–32.0) 26.0 (22.0–31.0) 25.0 (21.0–29.0) 26.0 (21.0–30.5) 25.0 (21.0–31.0) 27.0 (23.1–31.0)
Severe outcomes within 30 d, no. (%)
 ICU admission
  All-cause 4 (7.7) 27 (5.8) 35 (6.4) 30 (5.7) 46 (8.5) 30 (5.7) 41 (9.8) 251 (7.0)
  Complication from C. difficile infection 12 (2.2) 14 (3.0) 10 (1.8) 3 (0.6) 9 (1.7) 12 (2.3) 11 (2.6) 71 (2.0)
 Colectomy 9 (1.6) 9 (2.4) 6 (1.1) 9 (1.7) 5 (0.9) 8 (1.6) 5 (1.3) 51 (1.3)
 Patient status
  Discharged or transferred 317 (57.1) 255 (55.1) 306 (55.0) 308 (58.7) 326 (60.4) 305 (59.6) 269 (64.8) 2086 (58.5)
  Remained in hospital 157 (28.3) 148 (32.0) 167 (30.0) 149 (28.4) 149 (27.6) 144 (28.1) 88 (21.2) 1002 (281)
  Death (all cause) 81 (14.6) 60 (13.0) 84 (15.1) 68 (13.0) 65 (12.0) 63 (12.3) 58 (14.0) 479 (13.4)
  Death attributable to C. difficile infection 13 (2.3) 26 (5.6) 36 (6.5) 24 (4.6) 21 (3.9) 22 (4.3) 16 (3.9) 158 (4.4)

Note: ICU = intensive care unit, IQR = interquartile range, SD = standard deviation.

*

Not all subgroup values total the population size because of missing data. Percentages are calculated on the basis of available data.

Excluding adult patients missing standardized data form received and pediatric patients.

Excluding unknown.