Table 2 Clinical features of patients with acute bacterial meningitis according to age group*
From: The spectrum of acute bacterial meningitis in elderly patients
| Â | Group I (non-elderly) | Group II (elderly) | RR (95% CI) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  | N = 427 | N = 208 |  |  |
Interval symptoms-admission (hrs) | 24.0 (24.0–37.0) | 27.5 (24.0–37.0) | ---- | 0.3822 |
Prior antimicrobial therapy (%) | 126 (29.5) | 77 (37.0) | 1.25 (1.00–1.57) | 0.0696 |
Extrameningeal infection†(%) | 96 (22.5) | 79 (37.9) | 1.61(1.29–2.00) | < 0.0001 |
Pneumonia (%) | 17 (4.0) | 20 (9.6) | 1.72 (1.25–2.37) | 0.0077 |
ENT infection (%) | 56 (8.8) | 33 (5.2) | 1.16 (0.86–1.56) | 0.4149 |
Urinary tract infection (%) | 9 (1.4) | 18 (2.8) | 2.13 (1.59–2.86) | 0.0003 |
Fever (%) | 412 (96.5) | 193 (92.8) | 0.64 (0.44–0.93) | 0.0625 |
Level of consciousness (%) | Â | Â | Â | Â |
Normal (%) | 174 (40.7) | 49 (23.6) | 0.57 (0.43–0.75) | < 0.0001 |
Abnormal (%) | 229 (62.6) | 142 (68.3) | 1.53 (1.20–1.93) | 0.0006 |
Coma (%) | 24 (5.6) | 17 (8.2) | 1.39 (0.95–2.04) | 0.1639 |
Neck stiffness (%) | 357 (83.6) | 129 (62.0) | 0.50 (0.41–0.62) | < 0.0001 |
Meningeal triad present (%) | 208 (48.7) | 104 (50.0) | 1.04 (0.83–1.29) | 0.8275 |
Skin rash (%) | 153 (35.8) | 19 (9.1) | 0.27 (0.17–0.62) | < 0.0001 |
Interval admission-therapy (hrs) | 3.0 (1.0–6.0) | 4.0 (2.0–12.0) | ---- | < 0.0001 |
Focal neurologic signs on admission (%) | 63 (14.7) | 43 (20.7) | 1.30 (1.00–1.69) | 0.0777 |
Seizures on admission (%) | 33 (7.7) | 13 (6.2) | 0.85 (0.53–1.37) | 0.6091 |
Cerebral computed tomography (%) | 163 (57.8) | 113 (75.8) | 1.55 (1.24–1.93) | 0.0002 |