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Table 2 Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of patients included in this study

From: Accuracy of real-time PCR, Gram stain and culture for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae meningitis diagnosis

Demographic and clinical characteristics

Analyzed cases (n =451)

Cases without RT-PCR (n=1210)

 

Male (%)

284 (63.0)

731 (60.8)

 

Median age in years (range)

11 (0–78)

11 (0–83)

 

Days with symptoms before admission (median, range)

2 (0–60)

2 (0–120)

 

Admitted to intensive care unit (%)

56 (13.4)

104 (10.3)

 

Altered mental status on admission (%)

133 (33.1)

262 (25.9)

p =0.007

Died (%)

42 (10.2)

95 (9.5)

 

Transferred from another hospital (%)

270 (60.8)

634 (52.6)

p =0.003

CSF cell counts and chemistry

 

Leukocyte count (%)

  

p =0.001

<10 x106 cells/L

2 (0.4)

7 (0.6)

 

10-99 x106 cells/L

4 (0.9)

17 (1.5)

 

100-999 x106 cells/L

260 (57.8)

743 (64.3)

 

1000-9,999 x106 cells/L

107 (23.8)

262 (22.7)

 

≥10,000 x106 cells/L

77 (17.1)

127 (11.0)

 

>50% PMN (%)

302 (67.1)

725 (62.7)

 

>1.00 g/L protein (%)

242 (53.7)

621 (51.5)

 

≤1.9 mmol/L glucose (%)

136 (30.2)

303 (25.1)

p =0.04

Gram stain results

 

Gram stain with any bacteria (%)

116 (25.7)

208 (17.2)

p <0.0001

GPDC, GNDC, or GNCB (%)

100 (22.2)

172 (14.2)

 

GPDC (%)

49 (10.9)

80 (6.6)

 

GNDC (%)

46 (10.2)

80 (6.6)

 

GNCB (%)

5 (1.1)

12 (1.0)

 

Gram stain with bacteria of other morphology

16 (3.6)

36 (3.0)

 

Culture results

 

Positive for any bacteria (%)

100 (22.2)

178 (14.7)

p =0.0003

S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, or H. influenzae (%)

80 (17.7)

143 (11.8)

 

S. pneumoniae (%)

40 (8.9)

61 (5.0)

 

N. meningitidis (%)

36 (8.0)

67 (5.5)

 

H. influenzae (%)

4 (0.9)

15 (1.2)

 

Streptococcus agalactiae (%)

2 (0.4)

2 (0.2)

 

Other Streptococcus species (%)

1 (0.2)

4 (0.3)

 

Staphylococcus species (%)

5 (1.1)

4 (0.3)

 

Escherichia coli (%)

2 (0.4)

5 (0.4)

 

Listeria monocytogenes (%)

1 (0.2)

0

 

Salmonella species (%)

1 (0.2)

0

 

Other bacteria

8 (1.8)

20 (1.7)

 

RT-PCR result

   

Any positive (%)

113 (25.1)

-

 

S. pneumoniae (%)

51 (11.3)

-

 

N. meningitidis (%)

57 (12.6)

-

 

H. influenzae (%)

5 (1.1)

-

 
  1. Patients included in this study are compared to those who were excluded due to the absence of CSF RT-PCR testing.
  2. Note. Denominators may vary due to incomplete data.
  3. Abbreviations: RT-PCR, real-time polymerase chain reaction; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; PMN, polymorphonuclear leukocyte; GPDC, gram-positive diplococci; GNDC, gram-negative diplococcic; GNCB, gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacilli.
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BMC Infectious Diseases

ISSN: 1471-2334

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