Table 1.
Population demographics.
| Variable | Age 19–64 N = 80 |
Age 65–79 N = 171 |
Age > 80 N = 199 |
p |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median Age | 53 (43–61) | 74 (69.5–77) | 85 (82–89) | |
| Sex (Male) | 27 (33.8%) | 62 (36.3%) | 48 (24.1%) | 0.032 |
| ED Presentation and not Ed presentation | ||||
| Antibiotic therapy | 74 (92.5%) | 155(90.6%) | 180 (90.4%) | 0.418 |
| Previous clostridium infection | 16 (20.0%) | 51 (29.8%) | 51 (25.6%) | 0.249 |
| Fever | 42 (52.5%) | 58 (33.9%) | 71 (35.7%) | 0.012 |
| Abdominal pain | 29 (36.3%) | 24 (14.0%) | 35 (17.6%) | <0.001 |
| Vomit | 9 (11.3%) | 19 (11.1%) | 21 (10.6%) | 0.979 |
| Dyspnea | 2 (2.5%) | 25 (14.6%) | 25 (12.6%) | 0.017 |
| Syncope | 3 (3.8%) | 7 (4.1%) | 9 (4.5%) | 0.953 |
| Malaise/fatigue | 8 (10.0%) | 20 (11.7%) | 24 (12.1%) | 0.886 |
| Gastrointestinal bleeding | 4 (5.0%) | 4 (2.3%) | 4 (2.0%) | 0.354 |
| qSOFA score | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0 (0–1) | 0.422 |
| Laboratory Values | ||||
| Serum Creatinine mg/dL | 0.76 (0.55–1.16) | 0.91 (0.62–1.47) | 1.22 (0.78–1.83) | <0.001 |
| White blood cell count | 10.02 (7.33–14.32) | 10.6 (7.74–15.90) | 11.5 (7.95–17.01) | 0.163 |
| Serum Albumin | 30.5 (24.7–34) | 27 (23–30) | 26 (22–31) | 0.003 |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Charlson Comorbidity Index | 1 (0–2) | 4 (3–5) | 5 (4–6) | <0.001 |
| Ischemic heart disease | 7 (8.8%) | 19 (11.1%) | 28 (14.1%) | 0.420 |
| Congestive heart failure | 4 (5.0%) | 19 (11.1%) | 41 (20.6%) | 0.001 |
| Peripheral vascular disease | 8 (10.0%) | 36 (21.1%) | 50 (25.1%) | 0.019 |
| Dementia | 0 | 11 (6.4%) | 26 (13.1%) | 0.001 |
| COPD | 0 | 25 (14.6%) | 33 (16.6%) | 0.001 |
| Diabetes | 7 (8.8%) | 21 (12.3%) | 33 (16.6%) | 0.185 |
| Chronic kidney disease | 2 (2.5%) | 12 (7.0%) | 23 (11.6%) | 0.034 |
| Rheumatologic disease | 0 | 3 (1.8%) | 2 (1.0%) | 0.458 |
| HIV infection | 1 (1.3%) | 1 (0.6%) | 1 (0.5%) | 0.775 |
| Leukemia/Lymphoma | 3 (3.8%) | 6 (358%) | 6 (3.0%) | 0.941 |
| Solid Malignancy | 7 (8.8%) | 19 (11.1%) | 9(4.5%) | 0.058 |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Death | 3 (3.8%) | 15 (8.8%) | 45 (22.6%) | <0.001 |
| Mechanical Ventilation | 2 (2.5%) | 7 (4.1%) | 4 (2.0%) | 0.478 |
| Sepsis | 9 (11.3%) | 24 (14.0%) | 37 (18.6%) | 0.243 |
| Colon surgery | 0 | 1 (0.6%) | 1 (0.5%) | 0.799 |
| Major Cumulative Complications # | 11 (13.8%) | 32 (18.7%) | 62 (31.2%) | 0.002 |
| Length of Hospital Stay (days) | 6.1 (3.1–14.5) | 12.1 (6.8–19.9) | 9.9 (5.5–16.9) | 0.001 |
| ED readmission in 60 days | 7 (8.8%) | 17 (9.9%) | 15 (7.5%) | 0.715 |
# Major cumulative complications include death, admission to ICU/ventilation, sepsis, and colon surgery.