Patients with Clostridium difficile infection and prior appendectomy may be prone to worse outcomes

Table 4 Association between Clostridium difficile infection outcomes and severity of the presentation

	Severity (IDSA)
Outcomes	Mild (n = 710)	Severe (n = 566)	Fulminant (n = 304)		P value
Mortality (%)	29 (4.1)	44 (7.7)	147 (48.3)		< 0.001
Recurrence (%)	98 (13.8)	81 (14.3)	49 (16.1)		0.063
Toxic megacolon (%)	0	0	7 (2.3)		< 0.001
Colectomy (%)	0	0	22 (7.2%)		< 0.001
Length of stay (median)	8 (4.00; 14.00)	10.0 (6.00; 18.0)	19 (10.0; 30.0)		< 0.001

Counts and percentages were used to summarize categorical variables. The median (interquartile range) was used to summarize length of stay (LOS). Statistical analysis was performed using the Chi-square test of independence. LOS was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Analysis for LOS included only patients who were discharged. IDSA: Infectious Diseases Society of America.