Diarrhoea in the ICU: respective contribution of feeding and antibiotics

Table 4 Impact of the combination of enteral nutrition with antibiotics or antifungal drugs on diarrhoea incidence

	Exposure	Number of diarrhoea days on exposure time	Incidence rate	Incidence rate ratio^a
	(patient-days)	Number of diarrhoea days on exposure time	(per 100 patient-days)	(95% CI)
EN ≤60% energy target
Absence of antibiotics	169	4	7.6	3.2 (1.1; 12.9)
Presence of antibiotics	264	20	7.6	3.2 (1.1; 12.9)
EN >60% energy target
Absence of antibiotics	295	6	9.8	4.8 (2.1; 13.7)
Presence of antibiotics	540	53	9.8	4.8 (2.1; 13.7)
EN ≤60% energy target
Absence of antifungal drugs	353	17	22.2	10.6 (4.3; 27.4)
Presence of antifungal drugs	54	12	22.2	10.6 (4.3; 27.4)
EN >60% energy target
Absence of antifungal drugs	822	30	27.3	5.0 (2.8; 8.7)
Presence of antifungal drugs	88	24	27.3	5.0 (2.8; 8.7)

The exposure to risk factors was present if the factor was observed during the 48 hours preceding a diarrhoea day. Diarrhoea was defined as at least three liquid stools per day. CI, confidence interval; EN, enteral nutrition. ^aStratified analysis: incidence rate ratio adjusted with Mantel–Haenszel weights.

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