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Table 4 Evolving features and outcome of acute bacterial meningitis according to age group*

From: The spectrum of acute bacterial meningitis in elderly patients

 

Group I (non-elderly)

Group II (elderly)

RR (95% CI)

P value

 

N = 427

N = 208

  

Neurologic complications (%)

80 (18.7)

64 (30.8)

1.52 (1.21–1.90)

0.0009

New focal neurologic signs (%)

23 (5.4)

16 (7.7)

1.27 (0.86–1.89)

0.3372

Coma (%)

57 (13.3)

48 (23.1)

1.51 (1.18–1.94)

0.0028

Seizures (%)

46 (10.7)

33 (15.9)

1.33 (1.00–1.77)

0.0897

New cranial palsies (%)

17 (4.0)

17 (8.2)

1.57 (1.10–2.25)

0.0439

Extra-neurologic complications (%)

109 (25.5)

94 (45.2)

1.75 (1.41–2.18)

< 0.0001

Septic shock (%)

65 (15.2)

35 (16.8)

1.08 (0.80–1.44)

0.7125

Acute respiratory failure (%)

60 (14.0)

46 (22.1)

1.42 (1.10–1.82)

0.0145

Acute renal failure (%)

40 (9.4)

48 (23.1)

1.86 (1.48–2.35)

< 0.0001

Consumption coagulopathy (%)

39 (9.1)

15 (7.2)

0.84 (0.54–1.31)

0.5071

Therapeutics

    

Adequate empiric antibiotic therapy (%)

398 (93.2)

187 (89.9)

0.76 (0.54–1.08)

0.1956

Dexamethasone therapy (%)

142 (33.2)

83 (39.9)

1.21 (0.97–1.52)

0.1198

Vasoactive drugs (%)

69 (16.1)

38 (18.3)

1.10 (0.83–1.46)

0.5797

Mechanical ventilation (%)

67 (15.7)

39 (18.7)

1.15 (0.87–1.52)

0.3915

Dialysis (%)

9 (2.1)

8 (3.8)

1.45 (0.87–2.44)

0.3116

Outcome

    

Overall mortality rate (%)

50 (11.7)

62 (29.8)

1.98 (1.60–2.46)

< 0.0001

Meningococcal (%)

8 (4.5)

3 (12.5)

2.49 (0.88–7.10)

0.2494

Pneumococcal (%)

14 (15.0)

19 (31.7)

1.68 (1.14–2.48)

0.0259

Listerial & grampositive bacilli (%)

7 (21.2)

9 (31.0)

1.29 (0.75–2.23)

0.5544

Other grampositive cocci (%)

9 (40.9)

6 (46.1)

1.14 (0.48–2.70)

0.9597

Gramnegative bacilli (%)

10 (55.5)

12 (57.1)

1.03 (0.57–1.86)

0.8225

Haemophilus influenzae (%)

1 (11.1)

0 (0.0)

1.50 (0.30–7.43)

0.7320

Mixed (%)

0 (0.0)

0 (0.0)

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Other

0 (0)

0 (0.0)

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Unknown etiology (%)

1 (1.4)

13 (24.1)

2.51 (1.89–3.34)

0.0002

Death attributable to meningitis (%)

42 (9.8)

43 (20.7)

1.67 (1.30–2.13)

0.0004

Post-meningitic sequelae† (%)

42 (11.1)

21 (14.4)

1.22 (0.83–1.78)

0.3945

  1. Values expressed as median and interquartile range unless otherwise specified. *A patient may have more than one complication or sequelae. † Sequelae: total or partial deafness (19), limb palsy (18), cranial nerve palsy (13), memory disturbances (10), vegetative state (5), speech disturbances (4), polyneuritis (3), blindness (3), bilateral leg amputation (2), seizures (2), myoclonia (2), hydrocephalus (1), chronic leg ulcers (1), long-term tracheostomy (1), and chronic renal failure (1).
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