Table 1 Characteristics of 299 children with Clostridium difficile cytotoxin detected in stool
Category | n (%) |
|---|---|
Demographic Characteristics | |
Age (years) | 6.5 (3–13)† |
1–5 | 125 (42) |
6–11 | 83 (28) |
12–17 | 91 (30) |
Male | 173 (58) |
Underlying medical condition | 206 (69) |
Malignancy | 78 (26) |
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant | 40 (13) |
Chromosomal/genetic syndrome | 33 (11) |
Inflammatory bowel disease | 31 (10) |
Solid organ transplant | 24 (8) |
Cystic fibrosis | 8 (3) |
Other* | 8 (3) |
Congenital heart disease | 6 (2) |
Hirschsprung’s disease | 2 (1) |
Hospital-associated CDI | 222 (74) |
Clinical features | |
Fever ≥ 38.0°C | 140 (47) |
Abdominal pain | 106 (35) |
Bloody stool | 51 (17) |
Ileus | 7 (2) |
Diarrhea | |
Severe | 81 (27) |
Moderate | 132 (44) |
Mild | 65 (22) |
None/no documentation | 21 (7) |
Laboratory features | |
White blood cells ≥ 15 × 109/L | 64 (21) |
Creatinine > normal level (adjusted for age) | 40 (13) |
Albumin ≤ 25 g/L | 45 (15) |
CDI-directed antimicrobial therapy | 240 (80) |