Clinical indicators of bacterial meningitis among neonates and young infants in rural Kenya

BMC Infectious Diseases

Table 3 Crude likelihood ratios for meningitis of items of clinical examination amongst neonates and young infants in the derivation period.

			First week of life				Age 7 to 59 days
	Sample size		Without meningitis	With meningitis	Crude LR	Sample size	Without meningitis	With meningitis	Crude LR
Neck stiffness	1,031	No	995	31	1.01	1,380	1,285	60	0.92
		Yes	5	0	-		28	7	4.90
Bulging fontanel	1,031	No	990	26	0.85	1,380	1,300	56	0.84
		Yes	10	5	16.13		13	11	16.58
Abnormal cry or none	1031	No	949	30	1.02	1,380	1,287	65	0.99
		Yes	51	1	0.63		26	2	1.51
Irritability	1031	No	988	29	0.95	1,380	1,267	57	0.88
		Yes	12	2	5.38		46	10	4.26
Spontaneous movements	1,031	No	27	0	-	1,390	13	3	4.52
		Yes	973	31	1.07		1,300	64	0.97
Drowsy, lethargic or unconscious	1,031	No	782	21	0.87	1,380	1,153	51	0.87
		Yes	218	10	1.48		160	16	1.96
Capillary refill seconds	1,031	< 3	866	30	1.12	1,380	1,234	63	1.00
		≥ 3	134	1	0.24		79	4	0.99
Weight(kg)	1,029	< 1.5	115	0	-	1,370	36	0	-
		1.5-1.99	127	3	0.76		96	8	1.62
		2-2.49	195	6	0.99		152	12	1.54
		≥ 2.5	561	22	1.26		1,019	47	0.90
Axillary temperature °C	1,031	< 36	248	7	0.91	1,380	82	3	0.72
		36-37.4	546	8	0.47		752	24	0.63
		37.5-38.9	188	12	2.06		397	24	1.19
		≥ 39	18	4	7.17		82	16	3.82

ISSN: 1471-2334