Table 1 Baseline characteristics at admission of patients with community-acquired bacterial meningitis excluding patients treated with pre-hospital parenteral antibiotics
Patient characteristic at admission (n = 173) | Total cohort |
|---|---|
Age (years) | 58 (45–70) |
Male | 84 (49) |
Comorbiditya | 62/173 (36) |
Diagnosis of meningitis suspected at referral to hospital | 35/173 (20) |
Diagnosed with meningitis at admission to hospital | 120/173 (69) |
Duration of symptoms (days) (n = 164) | 2 (2–5) |
Headache | 96/119 (81) |
Nausea/vomiting | 87/102 (85) |
Petechiae/echimoses | 40/135 (30) |
Neck stiffness | 113/160 (71) |
Focal neurological deficitb | 29/130 (22) |
New-onset seizures | 17/173 (10) |
Meningitis triad (neck stiffness, fever, impaired mental status) | 78/173 (45) |
Temperature (°C) (n = 169) | 38.9 (38.0–39.9) |
Blood pressure, systolic (mmHg) (n = 157) | 138 (119–159) |
Pulse rate (bpm) (n = 156) | 99 (87–116) |
Glasgow Coma Score | |
12–15 | 82 (47) |
9–12 | 61 (35) |
< 9 | 30 (17) |
C-reactive protein (mg/L) (n = 170) | 211 (110–298) |
Blood leukocytes (109/L) (n = 171) | 17 (11–24) |
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy | 31/173 (18) |
CSF | |
Leukocytes (106/L) (n = 164) | 1925 (204–6081) |
Erythrocytes (106/L) (n = 164) | 145 (18–593) |
CSF-glucose (mmol/L) (n = 163) | 0.9 (0.1–3.1) |
CSF/blood glucose ratio (n = 163) | 0.1 (0.01–0.4) |
CSF protein (g/L) (n = 166) | 3.7 (1.9–7.9) |
Aetiology | |
S. pneumoniae | 96/173 (55) |
N. meningitidis | 36/173 (21) |
Other | 41/173 (24) |
Antibiotics for sepsis given before meningitis was diagnosed | 11/173 (6) |
Time to antibiotic therapy for meningitis (h, n = 173) | 2.0 (1.0–5.5) |
Dexamethasone treatmentc | 55/116 (47) |
Cranial imaging before lumbar puncture | 60/173 (35) |
Cranial imaging during hospitalisation | 134/173 (77) |
Intensive care unit admission | 104/173 (60) |
Unfavourable outcome (GOS 1–4) | 77/173 (45) |
Mortality | 33/173 (19) |