Table 1 Clinical and biochemical characteristics of 171 patients suspected of having meningitis on admission

Female sex

45% (14/31)

50% (10/20)

41% (24/59)

45% (5/11)

48% (24/50)

Age (in years)

20 (10–53) (31/31)

23 (7–30) (20/20)

25 (17–31)^‡ (59/59)

55 (46–64) (11/11)

28 (10–44) (50/50)

Underlying illness*

23%^† (7/31)

10% (2/20)

2% (1/59)

0% (0/11)

4% (2/50)

Body temperature (°C)

38.8 (38.4–39.6)^† (27/31)

38.3 (38.0–39.2) (18/20)

38.1 (37.7–38.7) (49/59)

37.8 (37.1–38.9) (9/11)

39 (37.5–39.6) (37/50)

Mean arterial pressure (mmHg)

93 (87–117) (22/31)

90 (79–106) (12/20)

90 (82–100) (42/59)

102 (86–115) (10/11)

93 (77–103) (30/50)

Heart rate (beats/minute)

113 (98–129)^†‡ (20/31)

90 (80–108) (16/20)

88 (73–100) (44/59)

80 (70–101) (10/11)

100 (85–120) (30/50)

Septic shock

16%^† (5/31)

0% (0/20)

0% (0/59)

0% (0/11)

8% (4/50)

Back rigidity

80%* (24/30)

95%^ठ(18/19)

88%^ठ(51/58)

40% (4/10)

57% (26/46)

Decreased consciousness

66%*^†§ (19/29)

22%^†‡ (4/18)

0%^‡ (0/57)

91%^§ (10/11)

13% (6/46)

Assisted ventilation

45%*^†§ (14/31)

0% (0/20)

0% (0/59)

20% (2/10)

10% (5/50)

Steroid therapy

35%*^†§ (11/31)

0% (0/20)

0% (0/59)

10% (1/10)

0% (0/50)

Fatal outcome

23%^† (7/31)

5% (1/20)

0% (0/59)

18% (2/11)

4% (2/50)

Days in hospital (survivors)

11 (9–15)^†§ (24/24)

9 (8–12)^†§ (19/19)

4 (2–5)^‡ (59/59)

12 (11–30)^§ (9/9)

4 (2–7) (48/48)

CSF WBC count (× 10⁶ cells/l)

3380 (767–6,528)*^†‡§ (31/31)

359 (128–1,066)^‡§ (20/20)

139 (61–366)^§ (59/59)

57 (13–102)^§ (11/11)

1 (1–2) (50/50)

CSF PMNs (× 10⁶ cells/l)

2,727 (398–5,404)*^†‡§ (30/31)

305 (112–600)^†‡§ (20/20)

25 (7–75)^§ (56/59)

5 (2–29)^§ (9/11)

< 1

CSF mononuclear (× 10⁶ cells/l)

248 (38–523)^§ 30/31

16 (6–93)^§ (20/20)

74 (25–327)^§ (56/59)

79 (25–106)^§ (9/11)

< 1

CSF glucose (mmol/l)

2.2 (0.6–3.5)^†§ (30/31)

3.3 (3.0–3.7)^§ (17/20)

3.3 (3.0–3.6)^§ (56/59)

3.1 (2.7–3.9) (10/11)

3.7 (3.4–4.5) (48/50)

CSF/blood glucose ratio

0.3 (0.1–0.5)*^†§ (22/31)

0.6 (0.4–0.7) (15/20)

0.6 (0.5–0.7) (46/59)

0.5 (0.3–0.7) (8/11)

0.6 (0.6–0.8) (30/50)

CSF protein (g/l)

1.9 (1.5–4.8)*^†§ (30/31)

0.7 (0.7–1.4)^§ (20/20)

0.7 (0.4–1.3)^§ (54/59)

1.1 (0.6–1.7)^§ (11/11)

0.3 (0.2–0.5) (47/50)

Blood WBC count (× 10⁹ cells/l)

21.7 (14.1–24.4)^†‡§ (31/31)

14.4 (8.3–16.8)^† (20/20)

8.8 (7.3–10.9) (59/59)

7.4 (6.9–9.6) (9/11)

9.0 (6.2–12.8) (48/50)

Blood PMNs (× 10⁹ cells/L)

17.1 (12.5–21.5)*^†‡§ (30/31)

10.9 (7.0–15.0)^†§ (20/20)

6.8 (5.3–8.5) (58/59)

4.5 (4.1–9.2) (4/11)

6.0 (4.5–9.6) (39/50)

Blood lymphocytes (× 10⁹ cells/L)

1.1 (0.7–1.5) (30/31)

1.4 (1.1–1.8) (20/20)

1.5 (1.0–1.9) (58/59)

1.7 (0.8–2.1) (4/11)

1.3 (0.8–2.1) (38/50)

Blood monocytes (× 10⁹ cells/l)

0.7 (0.4–1.0)^† (30/31)

0.6 (0.4–0.9) (20/20)

0.4 (0.3–0.6) (58/59)

0.6 (0.3–0.9) (4/11)

0.4 (0.3–0.8) (38/50)

Platelets (× 10⁹ cells/l)

235 (166–286) (31/31)

286 (215–370) (20/20)

254 (210–310) (56/59)

231 (174–351) (9/11)

230 (168–275) (47/50)

Sodium (mmol/l)

136 (135–138) (30/31)

136 (133–139) (20/20)

138 (136–140) (59/59)

130 (127–140) (8/11)

138 (136–141) (43/50)

Potassium (mmol/l)

3.6 (3.3–3.9)^† (29/31)

3.8 (3.6–4.1) (19/20)

3.9 (3.7–4.2) (59/59)

4.0 (3.9–4.1) (7/11)

3.9 (3.4–4.3) (44/50)

Creatinine (μmol/l)

76 (54–85) (30/31)

58 (46/72) (18/20)

75 (55–85) (56/59)

83 (73–100) (7/11)

71 (49–87) (45/50)

Factors II, IIV and X

0.57 (0.4–0.7)^† (28/31)

0.92 (0.7–1.0) (11/20)

0.78 (0.7–1.0) (36/59)

0.73 (0.6–1.0) (7/11)

0.74 (0.5–0.9) (31/50)

Arterial PO₂ (kPa)

11.0 (9.0–13.0) (15/31)

12.3 (10.7–13.8) (7/20)

8.5 (7.8–11.5) (3/59)

5.2 (1/11)

12.7 (8.0–15.0) (6/50)

Positive blood culture

62%*^†‡§ (18/29)

0% (0/20)

0% (0/59)

0% (0/10)

6% (3/48)