There were 37 cases of C. difficile toxin-positive diarrhoea in the 7 months before the change in policy and 16 in the 7 months after the change. No measure of statistical significance was given for this outcome. There were no significant differences in the length of stay in days (it was not stated but this was presumably the mean), for all patients the length of stay was 17.2 for the before group and 18.9 for the after group. Length of stay for those with respiratory infection was 18.3 for the before group and 18.7 for the after group (p = 0.43), and for those with urinary tract infections it was 23.7 for the before group and 18.7 for the after group (p = 0.96). Length of stay for other infections was 14.3 for the before group and 20.0 for the after group (p = 0.14).
There were no significant differences in the percentage mortality rates:
all patients, 20.4% (before group) and 21.3% (after group), (p= 0.54);
patients with respiratory infection,39.1% (before), 30.1% (after), (p=0.14);
patients with urinary tract infections, 9.3% (before), 10.3% (after), (p=0.85);
patients with other infections, 18.4% (before), 13.9% (after), (p=0.57).