Table 4 Signs and symptoms in patients with suspected meningitis with respect to age group and detection of microorganisms in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
Microorganism detected in CSF | No microorganism detected in CSF | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Neonates | Peadiatrics | Adults | Neonates | Peadiatrics | Adults | |||||||
n | Mean | n | Mean | n | Mean | n | Mean | n | Mean | n | Mean | |
Total* | 5 | 9 | 7 | 112 | 54 | 31 | ||||||
Vital signs | ||||||||||||
Temperature | 5 | 38.2 | 9 | 38.4 | 6 | 36.9 | 112 | 37.6 | 54 | 38.3 | 31 | 37.8 |
Pulse | 5 | 141 | 8 | 126 | 7 | 97 | 111 | 144 | 54 | 137 | 30 | 94 |
Respiratory rate | 5 | 60 | 8 | 59 | 7 | 27 | 111 | 65 | 53 | 53 | 29 | 25 |
Glasgow coma scale (GSC) _/15 | 3 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 115 | 21 | 13 | 28 | 15 |
Symptoms | n | Yes (%) | No (%) | n | Yes (%) | No (%) | ||||||
Fever | 21 | 17 | (81) | 4 | (19) | 195 | 145 | (74) | 50 | (26) | ||
Headachea | 15 | 9 | (60) | 6 | (40) | 85 | 38 | (45) | 47 | (55) | ||
Nauseaa | 16 | 6 | (38) | 10 | (63) | 81 | 22 | (27) | 59 | (73) | ||
Vomit | 21 | 11 | (52) | 10 | (48) | 195 | 59 | (30) | 136 | (70) | ||
Fast breathing | 21 | 11 | (52) | 10 | (48) | 195 | 120 | (62) | 75 | (38) | ||
Shortness of breath | 20 | 4 | (20) | 16 | (80) | 192 | 32 | (17) | 160 | (83) | ||
Cough | 21 | 6 | (29) | 15 | (71) | 191 | 26 | (14) | 165 | (86) | ||
Stridor | 21 | 0 | (0) | 21 | (100) | 192 | 3 | (2) | 189 | (98) | ||
Altered consciousness | 21 | 5 | (24) | 16 | (76) | 192 | 31 | (16) | 161 | (84) | ||
Seizure | 21 | 7 | (33) | 14 | (67) | 192 | 23 | (12) | 169 | (88) | ||
Neck stiffnessa | 16 | 10 | (63) | 6 | (38) | 83 | 26 | 831) | 57 | (69) | ||
Photophobiaa | 16 | 5 | (31) | 11 | (69) | 83 | 11 | (13) | 72 | (87) | ||
Unable to feed | 21 | 7 | (33) | 14 | (67) | 193 | 79 | (41) | 114 | (59) | ||
Abdominal paina | 16 | 1 | (6) | 15 | (94) | 84 | 3 | (4) | 81 | (96) | ||
Rash | 21 | 0 | (0) | 21 | (100) | 191 | 5 | (3) | 186 | (97) | ||
Signs | ||||||||||||
Dehydration | 21 | 3 | (14) | 18 | (86) | 192 | 22 | 811) | 170 | (89) | ||
Chest in drawing | 5 | 2 | (40) | 3 | (60) | 110 | 43 | (39) | 67 | (61) | ||
Bulging fontanelb | 5 | 0 | (0) | 5 | (100) | 110 | 3 | (3) | 107 | (97) | ||
Petecchiae | 21 | 0 | (0) | 21 | (100) | 193 | 1 | (1) | 192 | (99) | ||
Other rash | 21 | 2 | (10) | 19 | (90) | 192 | 5 | (3) | 187 | (97) | ||
Abdominal pain | 21 | 1 | (5) | 20 | (95) | 188 | 5 | (3) | 183 | (97) | ||
Neck stiffness | 21 | 8 | (38) | 13 | (62) | 190 | 32 | (17) | 158 | (83) | ||
Kernig’s signa | 16 | 6 | (38) | 10 | (63) | 82 | 13 | (16) | 69 | (84) | ||
Brudzinski’s signa | 16 | 5 | (31) | 11 | (69) | 82 | 8 | (10) | 74 | (90) | ||
Reduced consciousness | 20 | 4 | (20) | 16 | (8) | 179 | 25 | (14) | 154 | (86) | ||