Table 1 Comparison of patient characteristics, severity at ICU admission, microbiological data, and therapeutic measures between patients treated with rifampin or not for community-acquired bacterial meningitis (n=157)

 Age, yr

41.4

[28.7–59.4]

51.1

[34.6–69.3]

0.087

 Female sex

12/32

37.5 %

48/125

38.4 %

NS

 Immunosuppression

6/32

18.8 %

23/125

18.4 %

NS

 Alcohol use disorder

4/31

12.9 %

14/124

11.3 %

NS

 Asplenia

1/32

3.1 %

5/124

4.0 %

NS

 HIV infection

1/32

3.1 %

7/124

5.6 %

NS

 Glasgow Coma Scale score

11

[8–14]

12

[7–15]

NS

 Mechanical ventilation

11/25

44.0 %

49/111

44.1 %

NS

 Severe sepsis or septic shock

21/25

84.0 %

94/111

84.7 %

NS

 SAPS II

29

[16–43]

30

[20–48]

NS

 LOD system

  Neurologic

14/25

56.0 %

68/111

61.3 %

NS

  Pulmonary

11/25

44.0 %

49/111

44.1 %

NS

  Hematologic

11/25

44.0 %

46/111

41.4 %

NS

  Cardiovascular

12/25

48.0 %

38/111

34.2 %

NS

  Renal

5/25

20.0 %

27/111

24.3 %

NS

  Hepatic

–

–

 CSF white cell count/mm³

1710

[450–5100]

1820

[315–3300]

NS

 CSF protein rate, g/L

3.8

[2–5.9]

2.7

[1.5–5.8]

NS

 Positive direct examination of CSF

21/32

65.6 %

80/120

66.7 %

NS

Streptococcus pneumoniae as causative bacterium

20/32

62.5 %

56/125

44.8 %

0.079

  Penicillin non-susceptible isolates

11/20

55,0 %

21/46

45,7 %

NS

Neisseria meningitidis as causative bacterium

5/32

15.6 %

39/125

31.2 %

0.081

 Time between hospital admission and first dose of antibiotic (h)

2.5

[0.8–6.1]

3.2

[1.5–6.9]

NS

 Treatment with corticosteroids during hospitalization

28/32

87.5 %

77/125

61.6 %

0.006