Recorded characteristics by presence of preadmission diarrhoea
| No diarrhoea (n=932) | Diarrhoea (n=221) | |||
| No antibiotic exposure prior to admission (n=743) | Antibiotic exposure prior to admission (n=189) | No antibiotic exposure prior to admission (n=190) | Antibiotic exposure prior to admission (n=31) | |
| Age group | ||||
| 18–24 | 8 (1.1%) | 1 (0.5%) | 0 (0.0%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| 25–34 | 15 (2.0%) | 2 (1.1%) | 5 (3.6%) | 1 (3.2%) |
| 35–44 | 33 (4.4%) | 12 (6.3%) | 18 (9.5%) | 1 (3.2%) |
| 45–54 | 101 (13.6%) | 17 (9.0%) | 35 (18.4%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| 55–64 | 141 (19.0%) | 32 (16.9%0 | 44 (23.2%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| 65–74 | 128 (17.2%) | 35 (18.5%) | 35 (18.4%) | 11 (35.5%) |
| 75–84 | 168 (22.6%) | 44 (23.3%) | 31 (16.3%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| 85–100 | 149 (20.1%) | 46 (24.3%) | 22 (11.6%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| Gender | ||||
| Female | 284 (38.2%) | 89 (47.1%) | 81 (42.6%) | 18 (58.1%) |
| Male | 459 (61.8%) | 100 (52.9%) | 109 (57.4%) | 13 (41.9%) |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| White | 329 (44.3%) | 77 (40.7%) | 92 (48.4%) | 20 (64.5%) |
| Black | 233 (31.4%) | 58 (30.7%) | 50 (26.3%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| Asian | 30 (4.0%) | 11 (5.8%) | 7 (3.7%) | 2 (6.5%) |
| Mixed | 10 (1.3%) | 3 (1.6%) | 2 (1.1%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Other | 47 (6.3%) | 12 (6.3%) | 11 (5.8%) | 2 (6.5%) |
| Missing | 94 (12.7%) | 28 (14.8%) | 28 (14.7%) | 2 (6.5%) |
| Comorbidities | ||||
| Hypertension | 431 (58.0%) | 118 (62.4%) | 101 (53.2%) | 17 (54.8%) |
| Ischaemic heart disease | 68 (9.2%) | 19 (10.1%) | 16 (8.4%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| Congestive heart failure | 104 (14.0%) | 28 (14.8%) | 20 (10.5%) | 6 (19.4%) |
| Cerebrovascular disease | 124 (16.7%) | 36 (19.0%) | 24 (12.6%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| Dementia | 130 (17.5%) | 48 (25.4%) | 17 (8.9%) | 2 (6.5%) |
| Chronic pulmonary disease | 197 (26.5%) | 77 (40.7%) | 44 (23.2%) | 11 (35.5%) |
| Diabetes | 257 (34.6%) | 57 (30.2%) | 63 (33.2%) | 9 (29.0%) |
| Chronic renal disease | 135 (18.2%) | 41 (21.7%) | 35 (18.4%) | 6 (19.4%) |
| Previous or active malignancy | 105 (14.1%) | 27 (14.3%) | 19 (10.0%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| Moderate-severe chronic liver disease | 7 (0.9%) | 3 (1.6%) | 2 (1.1%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| Body mass index (BMI) | ||||
| Normal weight (18.5–24.9) | 161 (21.7%) | 40 (21.2%) | 23 (12.1%) | 8 (25.8%) |
| Underweight (<18.5) | 26 (3.5%) | 11 (5.8%) | 6 (3.2%) | 0 (0.0%) |
| Overweight (25.0–29.9) | 128 (17.2%) | 33 (17.5%) | 34 (17.9%) | 9 (29.0%) |
| Medically obese class 1 (30.0–34.9) | 82 (11.0%) | 17 (9.0%) | 31 (16.3%) | 5 (16.1%) |
| Medically obese class 2 (35.0–39.9) | 41 (5.5%) | 8 (4.2%) | 12 (6.3%) | 1 (3.2%) |
| Medically obese class 3 (>39.9) | 36 (4.8%) | 7 (3.7%) | 8 (4.2%) | 1 (3.2%) |
| Missing | 269 (36.2%) | 73 (38.6%) | 76 (40.0%) | 7 (22.6%) |
| Severity markers, median (IQR)* | ||||
| Initial NEWS 2 | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | 3.0 (2.0–6.0) | 3.0 (2.0–5.0) | 3.0 (1.0–5.0) |
| Lymphocyte count | 0.99 (0.70–1.35) | 0.96 (0.68–1.34) | 1.0 (0.7–1.3) | 1.0 (0.6–1.5) |
| Neutrophil count | 5.6 (3.9–7.9) | 6.1 (4.1–8.4) | 5.2 (3.9–7.3) | 5.0 (4.2–8.0) |
| Neutrophil:lymphocyte ratio | 5.4 (3.4–9.1) | 5.9 (3.9–9.5) | 5.2 (3.4–7.9) | 6.2 (3.7–9.6) |
| Platelets | 213 (163–266) | 211 (165–260) | 208 (165–263) | 231 (155–308) |
| Creatinine | 93 (72–134) | 95 (72–139) | 90 (47–151) | 94 (69–149) |
| Urea | 7.1 (4.7–12.0) | 8.2 (5.0–14.4) | 6.5 (4.4–10.1) | 7.8 (5.5–13.0) |
| CRP | 84 (37–154) | 102 (48–169) | 90 (47–151) | 86 (45–123) |
| Index of Multiple Deprivation Score, median (IQR) | 23.6 (12.2–32.2) | 20.5 (11.5–31.4) | 22.4 (14.4–31.3) | 20.0 (11.3–30.8) |
| Outcomes | ||||
| Critical care admission | 123 (16.6%) | 35 (18.5%) | 29 (15.3%) | 4 (12.9%) |
| Mechanical ventilation | 99 (13.3%) | 32 (16.9%) | 22 (11.6%) | 2 (6.5%) |
| Mortality | 231 (31.1%) | 78 (41.3%) | 46 (24.7%) | 7 (22.6%) |
*Data missing for 18 patients in total: initial NEWS 2 was missing for n=1; lymphocyte result missing for n=3; neutrophil count missing for n=3; neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio missing for n=3; platelets missing for n=2; creatinine missing for n=1; urea missing for n=8; CRP missing for n=5. Index of Multiple Deprivation missing for n=1. Data are counts and proportions, unless otherwise stated.
CRP, C-reactive protein; NEWS, National Early Warning Score.