Cerebrospinal fluid procalcitonin predicts Gram-negative bacterial meningitis in patients with empiric antibiotic pretreatment

Table 1 CSF and serum data

	Total (n = 59)	Gram-positive (n = 33)	Gram-negative (n = 26)	P value
CSF
PCT, ng/mL	0.2 (0.1–0.5)	0.1 (0.1–0.3)	0.5 (0.2–1.6)	< 0.001
Leukocyte, cells/mm³	230.0 (99.0–1790.0)	214.0 (105.5–1970.0)	237.5 (56.0–1870.0)	0.54
Neutrophils, cells/mm³	154.1 (13.2–1432.0)	147.6 (7.0–1726.5)	165.0 (23.0–1768.9)	0.91
Lymphocyte, cells/mm³	50.4 (20.1–114.7)	52.1 (17.4–150.6)	44.3 (23.3–100.5)	0.71
Protein, g/L	1.6 (0.7–2.9)	1.6 (0.8–2.9)	1.6 (0.7–3.0)	0.95
Glucose, mg/dL	53.3 (37.3–72.0)	54.0 (38.9–74.7)	48.9 (34.7–69.4)	0.29
CRP, mg/L	0.3 (0.2–0.9)	0.3 (0.2–1.0)	0.3 (0.2–0.8)	0.82
First pressure, cmH₂O	157.5 (130.0–230.0)	150.0 (127.5–205.0)	180.0 (142.5–285.0)	0.12
Last pressure, cmH₂O	95.0 (70.0–130.0)	90.0 (70.0–128.8)	100.0 (72.5–167.5)	0.26
Serum
PCT, ng/mL	0.6 (0.1–3.1)	0.4 (0.1–4.3)	0.8 (0.1–2.7)	0.61
Leukocyte, cells/mm³	11.8 (7.8–14.9)	10.5 (7.0–14.6)	13.2 (9.4–15.0)	0.16
Glucose, mg/dL	144.5 (120.6–173.8)	142.2 (117.9–175.1)	147.6 (128.5–169.7)	0.34
CRP, mg/L	9.9 (2.2–59.3)	9.5 (2.0–52.9)	14.6 (2.3–68.0)	0.71
Albumin, g/L	33.9 ± 4.4	33.1 ± 4.7	34.9 ± 4.0	0.13
CSF/serum ratio
CSF/serum PCT ratio	0.7 (0.2–1.4)	0.7 (0.2–1.4)	0.7 (0.1–1.4)	0.75
CSF/serum glucose ratio	0.4 (0.3–0.5)	0.4 (0.3–0.5)	0.3 (0.2–0.4)	0.08

The CSF and serum samples were collected on the same day. Continuous variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation (normally distributed), as medians and interquartile ranges (IQR, not normally distributed), which were compared using the Student t test or Mann-Whitney U test. The CSF and serum samples were collected on the same day
CSF cerebrospinal fluid, PCT procalcitonin, CRP C-reactive protein

ISSN: 1364-8535