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Table 1 Characteristics of episodes of spontaneous meningitis due to gram-negative bacilli and those due to other pathogens*

From: Spontaneous gram-negative bacillary meningitis in adult patients: characteristics and outcome

Characteristics

Gram-negative bacillary meningitis (n = 40)

Other causes of meningitis (n = 405)

P value

Male sex

23/40 (57.5)

183/393 (46.6)

0.187

Age – years, median (IQR)

64 (17)

50 (41)

< 0.001

Comorbid conditions

29/40 (72.5)

173/403 (42.9)

<0.001

• Cancer

8/40 (20.0)

41/403 (10.2)

0.067

• Diabetes mellitus

7/40 (17.5)

45/403 (11.2)

0.298

• Alcoholism

6/40 (15.0)

43/403 (10.7)

0.425

• Liver cirrhosis

4/40 (10.0)

17/403 (4.2)

0.110

Charlson comorbidity index ≥ 3

10/39 (25.6)

50/399 (12.5)

0.023

Distant focus of infection

31/40 (77.5)

139/402 (34.6)

<0.001

• Urinary tract infection

13/40 (32.5)

2/405 (0.5)

<0.001

• Otitis or sinusitis

4/40 (10.0)

58/405 (14.3)

0.452

• Pneumonia

2/40 (5.0)

22/405 (5.4)

1.000

Route of acquisition

   

• Hospital-acquired (vs. community-acquired)

9/40 (22.5)

8/405 (2)

<0.001

Symptoms on presentation

   

• Fever

37/40 (92.5)

387/402 (96.3)

0.217

• Change in mental status

29/40 (72.5)

278/402 (69.2)

0.661

• Neck stiffness

24/40 (60.0)

330/400 (82.5)

0.001

• Triad of fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status

16/40 (40.0)

231/401 (57.6)

0.032

• Headache

22/40 (55.0)

323/402 (80.3)

<0.001

• Nausea and/or vomiting

18/40 (45.0)

239/394 (60.7)

0.055

• Focal neurological deficits

12/40 (30.0)

74/402 (18.4)

0.093

• Coma

6/40 (15)

26/402 (6.5)

0.057

• Seizures

5/40 (12.5)

33/401 (8.2)

0.371

• Rash

1/40 (2.5)

148/402 (36.8)

<0.001

• Systolic blood pressure – mm Hg (SD)

122 (31)

126 (31)

0.507

• Diastolic blood pressure – mm Hg (SD)

69 (22)

75 (21)

0.087

CSF examination

   

• White-cell count, median (IQR)

1650 (2886)

1120 (2865)

0.248

 < 100/mm3

3/39 (7.7)

54/395 (13.7)

0.292

100–999/mm3

9/39 (23.1)

132/395 (33.4)

0.188

 > 999/mm3

27/39 (69.2)

209/395 (52.9)

0.051

• Protein – g/liter, median (IQR)

3.75 (4.32)

3.48 (5.03)

0.786

• CSF: blood glucose ratio, median (IQR)

0.13 (0.22)

0.20 (0.34)

0.448

Positive blood culture

27/40 (67.5)

218/401 (54.4)

0.111

Blood white-cell count, median (IQR)

17350 (13225)

16650 (10800)

0.258

Thrombocyte count- platelets/mm3, median (IQR)

175000 (173000)

185000 (125000)

0.196

Neurological complications

20/40 (50)

121/402 (30.1)

0.010

• Impaired mental status

16/40 (40)

70/401 (17.5)

0.001

• Seizures

9/40 (22.5)

50/403 (12.4)

0.073

• Focal neurological deficits

12/40 (30)

81/402 (20.1)

0.145

Systemic complications

24/40 (60)

123/395 (31.1)

<0.001

• Septic shock

15/40 (37.5)

63/402 (15.7)

0.001

• Disseminated intravascular coagulation

7/40 (17.5)

40/399 (10)

0.174

• Acute respiratory failure

15/40 (37.5)

56/402 (13.9)

<0.001

• Acute kidney injury

12/40 (30)

51/401 (12.7)

0.003

Outcome

   

• Neurological sequelae

3/19 (15.8)

49/334 (14.7)

0.894

• In-hospital mortality

21/40 (52.5)

66/404 (16.3)

<0.001

  1. CI = confidence interval; IQR = interquartile range; SD = standard deviation.
  2. *Values are reported as no./no. evaluated (%), unless otherwise noted.