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Table 2 Characteristics of nosocomial and community-acquired episodes of spontaneous meningitis due to gram-negative bacilli*

From: Spontaneous gram-negative bacillary meningitis in adult patients: characteristics and outcome

Characteristics

Hospital-acquired (n = 9)

Community-acquired (n = 31)

P value

Male sex

3/9 (33.3)

20/31 (64.5)

0.134

Age – years, median (IQR)

61 (23)

65 (18)

0.486

Comorbid conditions

7/9 (77.8)

22/31 (71.0)

1.000

Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 3

1/9 (11.1)

9/30 (30.0)

0.400

Distant focus of infection

4/9 (44.4)

27/31 (87.1)

0.016

• Urinary tract infection

2/9 (22.2)

11/31 (35.5)

0.690

• Otitis or sinusitis

0/9 (0.0)

4/31 (12.9)

0.557

• Pneumonia

1/9 (11.1)

1/31 (3.2)

0.404

Microbiology

   

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

5/9 (55.6)

5/31 (16.1)

0.049

Escherichia coli

2/9 (22.2)

13/31 (41.9)

0.494

Symptoms on presentation

   

• Triad of fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status

1/9 (11.1)

15/31 (48.4)

0.061

• Focal neurological deficits

3/9 (33.3)

9/31 (29.0)

1.000

• Seizures

3/9 (33.3)

2/31 (6.5)

0.065

• Systolic blood pressure – mm Hg (SD)

110 (58)

127 (30)

0.292

• Diastolic blood pressure – mm Hg (SD)

60 (38)

80 (19)

0.016

CSF examination

   

• White-cell count, median (IQR)

2456 (4472)

1601 (2646)

0.689

 < 100/mm3

3/9 (33.3)

0/30 (0.0)

0.009

100–999/mm3

1/9 (11.1)

8/30 (26.7)

0.654

 > 999/mm3

5/9 (55.6)

22/30 (73.3)

0.416

• Protein – g/liter, median (IQR)

4.66 (7.42)

3.70 (3.67)

0.567

• CSF: blood glucose ratio, median (IQR)

0.10 (0.51)

0.13 (0.22)

0.731

Positive blood culture

7/9 (77.8)

20/31 (64.5)

0.690

Neurological complications

6/9 (66.7)

14/31 (45.2)

0.451

Systemic complications

7/9 (77.8)

17/31 (55.8)

0.272

Outcome

   

• In-hospital mortality

6/9 (66.7)

15/31 (48.4)

0.457

  1. CI = confidence interval; IQR = interquartile range; SD = standard deviation.
  2. *Values are reported as no./no. evaluated (%), unless otherwise noted.