Table 3 A comparison of the baseline characteristics between subacute and chronic meningitis and between tuberculous and non-tuberculous meningitis
Clinical Features | Subacute Meningitisa (n = 313) | Chronic Meningitisb (n = 82) | P value | Tuberculous meningitis (n = 160) | Non-Tuberculous Meningitis (n = 235) | P- valuec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Median age in years (range) | 38 (14–82) | 41 (15–76) | 0.104 | 36 (14–82) | 40 (18–78) | < 0.001 |
HIV/AIDS d, n (%) | 108/313 (34.5) | 43/82 (52.4) | 0.003 | 110/160 (68.8) | 41/235 (17.4) | < 0.001 |
Presenting Symptoms, n (%) | ||||||
Duration of symptoms (days), range | 10 (2–28) | 41 (30–356) | < 0.001 | 15 (6–356) | 8 (2–30) | < 0.001 |
Fever | 209/313 (66.7) | 55/82 (67.1) | 0.959 | 114/160 (71.3) | 150/235 (63.8) | 0.124 |
Headache | 262/311(84.2) | 54/82 (65.9) | < 0.001 | 129/158 (81.6) | 187/235 (79.6) | 0.612 |
Nausea/vomiting | 180/311 (57.9) | 44/82 (53.6) | 0.492 | 48/102 (47.1) | 45/89 (50.6) | 0.63 |
Median GCS e (range) | 15 (3–15) | 15 (3–15) | 0.100 | 11 (3–15) | 15 (3–15) | < 0.001 |
CSF Profile | ||||||
CSF WBC f | 150 (3–3405) | 120 (2570) | 0.526 | 161 (2–2570) | 84 (5_3405) | 0.364 |
CSF protein, mg/dl | 108 (21–3500) | 131 (21–1900) | 0.381 | 188 (21–3500) | 87 (22–466) | < 0.001 |
CSF glucose, mg/dl | 46 (14–193) | 27 (0–81) | < 0.001 | 27 (0–115) | 52 (1–193) | < 0.001 |
Tuberculous meningitis | 104/313 (33.2) | 56/82 (68.3) | < 0.001 | N/A | N/A | N/A |