Table 2 Comparison of the clinical characteristics of meningitis caused by carbapenem-non-susceptible vs. carbapenem-susceptible Gram-negative bacteria

Demographic information

 Male sex^a, n (%)

136 (73.1)

72 (59.0)

0.010

1.889 (1.163–3.068)

0.010

 Age^b, median (IQR)

50.0 (39.0–60.0)

44.5 (30.0–58.0)

0.020

1.018 (1.003–1.033)

0.021

 ICU stay^a, n (%)

147 (79.0)

88 (72.1)

0.164

 GCS score^c, n (%)

 < 0.001

 0.001

  Severe (GCS 3–8)

118 (63.4)

41 (33.6)

 < 0.001

4.053 (2.433–6.750)

 < 0.001

2.935 (1.675–5.143)

 < 0.001

  Moderate (GCS 9–12)

19 (10.2)

12 (9.8)

2.230 (0.992–5.013)

0.052

1.743 (0.731–4.152)

0.210

  Mild (GCS 13–15)

49 (26.3)

69 (56.6)

 Cerebrovascular disease, n (%)

72 (38.7)

33 (27.0)

0.035

1.703 (1.037–2.799)

0.036

 Traumatic brain injury, n (%)

70 (37.6)

26 (21.3)

0.002

2.228 (1.318–3.767)

0.003

 Intracranial tumor^a, n (%)

31 (16.7)

52 (42.6)

 < 0.001

0.269 (0.159–0.456)

 < 0.001

Comorbidities

 Diabetes^a, n (%)

18 (9.7)

10 (8.2)

0.658

 Hypertension^a, n (%)

48 (25.8)

23 (18.9)

0.156

 With non-CNS infection on admission^a, n (%)

69 (37.1)

20 (16.4)

 < 0.001

3.008 (1.711–5.287)

 < 0.001

2.690 (1.459–4.960)

0.002

 Hospitalization in the previous month before admission^a, n (%)

125 (67.2)

61 (50.0)

0.003

2.049 (1.282–3.274)

0.003

Predisposing factors

 Intra-cranial pressure monitor, n (%)

44 (23.7)

12 (9.8)

0.002

2.840 (1.432–5.635)

0.003

2.237 (1.052–4.755)

0.036

 Ommaya^a, n (%)

95 (51.1)

46 (37.7)

0.021

1.725 (1.083–2.747)

0.022

 Mechanical ventilation^a, n (%)

98 (52.7)

41 (33.6)

0.001

2.200 (1.371–3.532)

0.001

 Carbapenem exposure^a, n (%)

82 (44.1)

37 (30.3)

0.015

1.811 (1.118–2.935)

0.016

2.019 (1.195–3.413)

0.009

 Deep vein intubation^a, n (%)

100 (53.8)

52 (42.6)

0.056

 External ventricular drainage, n (%)

100 (53.8)

59 (48.4)

0.353

 General anesthesia^a, n (%)

153 (82.3)

98 (80.3)

0.670

 Neurosurgical procedures^a, n (%)

158 (84.9)

100 (82.0)

0.488

 Ventriculoperitoneal shunt, n (%)

22 (11.8)

29 (23.8)

0.006

0.430 (0.234–0.792)

0.007

 Continuous lumbar drainage^a, n (%)

97 (52.2)

80 (65.6)

0.020

0.572 (0.357–0.917)

0.020

 Glucocorticoids^a, n (%)

72 (38.7)

68 (55.7)

0.003

0.502 (0.316–0.797)

0.004

 Proton pump inhibitor, n (%)

125 (67.2)

98 (80.3)

0.012

0.502 (0.292–0.862)

0.013

Treatment information

 Intrathecal therapy^a,d, n (%)

15 (8.5)

6 (5.3)

0.301

 Length of the main antimicrobial therapy (days)^b,d, mean ± SD

14.2 ± 1.0

19.5 ± 2.9

0.048

Complications

 Hydrocephalus^a, n (%)

78 (41.9)

62 (50.8)

0.126

 CSF leakage^a, n (%)

25 (13.4)

11 (9.0)

0.237

 Surgical wound infection^a, n (%)

29 (15.6)

16 (13.1)

0.547

 Fever^ad, n (%)

174 (94.1)

109 (90.1)

0.198

Organ failure^a,d, n (%)

75 (41.2)

37 (31.6)

0.095

Blood testing on the day of first positive culture

 WBC^c,d, n (%)

  Decrease

5 (3.0)

1 (1.0)

0.995

  Normal range

57 (34.1)

38 (36.9)

  Increase

105 (62.9)

64 (62.1)

 Neutrophils^c,d, n (%)

  Decrease

0 (0.0)

1 (1.0)

0.686

  Normal range

17 (10.2)

11 (10.7)

  Increase

150 (89.8)

91 (88.3)

 Platelet^c,d, n (%)

  Decrease

19 (11.4)

4 (3.9)

0.496

  Normal range

101 (60.5)

81 (78.6)

  Increase

47 (28.1)

18 (17.5)

 Hypoalbuminemia^a,d, n (%)

102 (62.6)

48 (48.0)

0.020

Central nervous fluid testing

 WBC (× 10⁶/L)^b,e, mean ± SD

4657.5 ± 788.5

3473.7 ± 980.0

0.345

 Multinuclear cell (%)^b,e, mean ± SD

80.6 ± 1.5

76.0 ± 2.0

0.066

 Chloride (mmol/L)^b,e, mean ± SD

114.0 ± 0.8

114.2 ± 0.9

0.882

 Glucose (mmol/L)^b,e, mean ± SD

1.7 ± 0.1

2.0 ± 0.1

0.066

 Protein (mg/L)^b,e, mean ± SD

5315.0 ± 377.0

4074.5 ± 511.3

0.048

Co-infection with Gram–positive bacteria or MTB^a,d, n (%)

41 (22.2)

35 (29.4)

0.154

Outcome

 GOS score^c, n (%)

  Good recovery

16 (8.6)

24 (19.7)

 < 0.001

  Moderate disability

86 (46.2)

67 (54.9)

  Severe disability

5 (2.7)

3 (2.5)

  Vegetative state

44 (23.7)

19 (15.6)

  Dead

35 (18.8)

9 (7.4)

 Normalization of clinical symptoms^a, n (%)

92 (49.5)

70 (57.4)

0.174

 Normalization of laboratory analysis in CSF^a,d, n (%)

86 (51.5)

63 (63.0)

0.067

 CSF bacterial clearance rate^a, n (%)

119 (64.0)

82 (67.2)

0.560