Table 2

Schedule of events

Time point	Enrolment screening	Allocation	Study intervention				Close-out
Time point	0-72 hrs prior to intervention start	0–12 hrs prior to intervention start	0 hr	48 hrs	5 days	14 days	30 days	90 days
Enrolment
Clostridium difficile stool toxin test results positive	◆
Eligibility assessment
Relevant medical history	◆
Physical examination	◆
General Surgery consultation	◆
Laboratory	□
Complete blood count	◆
Serum creatinine	◆
Serum albumin	◆
Serum lactate	◆
Serum/urine beta-HCG (when clinically appropriate)	◆
Imaging
Abdominal imaging	◆
Organ dysfunction and comorbidity index assessments	◆					□
Written consent provided by patient or SDM	◆					□
Randomisation		◆
Interventions
Control group
Nil per os			□	□
Metronidazole 500 mg IV every 8 hours			□			□
Vancomycin 500 mg orally every 6 hours			□			□
Intervention group
Nil per os			□	□
Insertion of NJ or NG feeding tube (two-step with CXR and AXR to confirm positioning)	◆
Insertion of faecal management system (if clinically appropriate)	◆
Metronidazole 500 mg IV every 8 hours			□			□
Vancomycin 500 mg orally every 6 hours			□			□
Polyethylene glycol intestinal lavage		□	□	□
Assessment
Mortality							◆	◆
Protocol compliance (see definition in text)						◆
Intervention intolerance assessment (see definition in text)				□
Adverse events assessment
Assessment of surgeons' reported indication for surgical intervention						◆
Non-surgical intervention for abdominal compartment syndrome				◆		◆
Assess for ICU admission							◆
Mechanical ventilator support							◆
Vasopressor support							◆
Aspiration pneumonitis or pneumonia				◆
Complications related to NJ/NG tubes
Pneumothorax					◆
Perforation					◆
Haemorrhage					◆
Complications related to faecal management system
Perforation					◆
Haemorrhage					◆
Other complications							◆

Legend: ◆ discrete event; □ start and stop of continuous intervention.
AXR, abdominal X-ray; CXR, chest X-ray; HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin; ICU, intensive care unit; IV, intravenous; NG, nasogastric; NJ, nasojejunal; SDM, substitute decision maker.