Table 1 Laboratory investigations of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples and peripheral blood count of patients with suspected meningitis

 n

21

12

7

2

192

 Clear

11

(52)

9

(75)

1

(14)

1

(50)

133

(69)

 Bloody

2

(10)

2

(17)

0

(0)

0

(0)

48

(25)

 Turbid

7

(33)

0

(0)

6

(86)

1

(50)

3

(2)

 Xanthochromic

1

(5)

1

(8)

0

(0)

0

(0)

8

(4)

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

Glucose measurement (mg/mL)

5

27

1

47

4

22

0

37

56

Manual cell count using Neubauer chamber

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

 Total

21

12

7

2

180

 Not done due to bloody sample

1

(5)

1

(8)

0

(0)

1

(50)

35

(19)

 No cells

5

(24)

5

(42)

0

(0)

0

(0)

94

(52)

 Cell count ≥ 10 cells/mm3

12

(57)

4

(33)

7

(100)

1

(50)

11

(6)

 Mean cells/mm3

2740

70

7716

9

91

 Median cells/mm3

50

5

2500

9

0

 Max. cells/mm3

40,000

332

40,000

13

9

 Min. cells/mm3

0

0

75

5

0

n

mean % PMN

n

mean % PMN

n

mean % PMN

n

mean % PMN

n

mean % PMN

Differential count using Neubauer chamber

14

(30)

6

(0)

7

(60)

1

(0)

45

(3)

Gram staining/India ink staining

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

n

(%)

 Total

21

12

7

2

196

 No organisms seen

18

(86)

12

(100)

5

(71)

1

(50)

196

(100)

 Positive

3^a

(14)

0

(0)

2^a

(29)

1^a

(50)

0

(0)

Complete blood count (CBC), peripheral blood

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

n

mean

 White blood count (× 10^9/L)

16

10.5

9

8.3

6

14.7

1

4.7

134

14.2

 Neutrophils (× 10^9/L)

16

6.8

9

3.9

6

11.5

1

3.9

100

7.8

 Lymphocyte count (× 10^9/L)

16

2.4

9

3.1

6

1.8

1

0.3

117

3.5