Table 4.
Demographic characteristics, previous and concomitant medication use, and laboratory parameters at the time of CDI diagnosis in surviving and deceased patients in the CDI- and COVID-19-coinfection group.
| Variable | CDI and COVID-19 Coinfection—Surviving Patients (273) | CDI and COVID-19 Coinfection—Deceased Patients (114) | Test | df | p * |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||||
| Age | 70.0 ± 6.8 | 80.2 ± 6.8 | 11.834 | 385 | <0.001 |
| Male gender | 159 (58.2) | 72 (63.7) | 3.627 | 2 | 0.163 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Cardiovascular diseases | 92 (33.7) | 55 (48.2) | 7.223 | 1 | 0.007 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 135 (49.5) | 76 (66.7) | 9.613 | 1 | 0.002 |
| Gastrointestinal tract diseases | 53 (19.4) | 37 (32.5) | 7.664 | 1 | 0.006 |
| Chronic renal failure | 70 (25.6) | 61 (53.5) | 27.891 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Chronic liver disease | 29 (10.6) | 17 (14.9) | 1.413 | 1 | 0.235 |
| Malignancy | 65 (23.8) | 29 (25.4) | 0.116 | 1 | 0.733 |
| Neurological diseases | 32 (11.7) | 39 (34.2) | 27.15 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Chronic obstructive lung disease | 48 (17.6) | 40 (35.1) | 14.027 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Autoimmune disorder | 19 (7.0) | 5 (4.4) | 0.916 | 1 | 0.339 |
| Hematological malignancy | 15 (5.5) | 4 (3.5) | 0.679 | 1 | 0.41 |
| Charlson comorbidity score | 2.70 ± 1.42 | 3.95 ± 1.45 | 7.827 | 385 | <0.001 |
| Treatment before CDI | |||||
| Antibiotics | |||||
| Number of antibiotics before the infection | 1.26 ± 0.76 | 1.94 ± 0.93 | 7.399 | 385 | <0.001 |
| Cephalosporin of the III generation | 100 (36.6) | 81 (71.1) | 38.275 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Fluoroquinolone | 106 (38.8) | 69 (60.5) | 15.285 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Amoxicillin–clavulanic acid | 25 (9.2) | 3 (2.6) | 5.103 | 1 | 0.024 |
| Macrolide | 103 (37.7) | 46 (40.4) | 0.233 | 1 | 0.629 |
| Other antibiotics | 11 (4.0) | 21 (18.4) | 21.96 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Antimotility drugs | 5 (1.8) | 2 (1.8) | 0.003 | 1 | 0.959 |
| Proton pump inhibitors | 189 (69.2) | 103 (90.4) | 19.367 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Corticosteroid treatment | 33 (12.1) | 50 (43.9) | 48.185 | 1 | <0.001 |
| Chemotherapy | 44 (16.1) | 13 (11.4) | 1.423 | 1 | 0.233 |
| Laboratory findings at the moment of CDI diagnosis | |||||
| Albumin (g/L) | |||||
| >25 | 240 (87.9) | 71 (62.3) | 33.477 | 1 | <0.001 |
| ≤25 | 33 (12.1) | 43 (37.7) | |||
| Creatinine (mmol/L) | |||||
| <200 | 213 (78.0) | 52 (45.6) | 39.127 | 1 | <0.001 |
| >200 | 60 (22.0) | 62 (54.4) | |||
| Leucocytes | |||||
| ≤15 × 109/L | 176 (64.5) | 41 (36.0) | 26.527 | 1 | <0.001 |
| >15 × 109/L | 97 (35.5) | 73 (64.0) | |||
| CRP (mg/L) | 114.7 ± 60.7 | 178.4 ± 87.0 | 8.228 | 385 | <0.001 |
| Type of concomitant therapy | |||||
| Antibiotics | 147 (100.0) | 90 (100.0) | n.a | ||
| Proton pump inhibitors | 133 (100.0) | 87 (100.0) | n.a | ||
| Corticosteroids | 28 (100.0) | 27 (100.0) | n.a | ||
* Categorical variables are presented as n (%), while the differences between groups were assessed using the χ2-test. Continuous variables are presented as ± SD, while the differences between groups were compared using the t-test according to the distribution; df: degree of freedom; CDI: Clostridium difficile infection; COVID-19: Coronavirus disease 2019 (infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus); CRP: C-reactive Protein.