Table 2.
The demographic and laboratory characteristics of patients diagnosed with confirmed meningitis and clinical meningitis
| Characteristics | Confirmed meningitis (n = 15) |
Clinical meningitis (n = 36) |
P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, median (IQR) | 4 (2–8) | 3.5 (0.7–10) | 0.686; Z = -0.404 |
| Length of stay (days) | 14 (12–15) | 12 (9–14) | 0.047*; Z = -1.986 |
| Need for PICU admission, n (%) | 5 (33.3) | 7 (19.4) | 0.302 β |
| Fever, n (%) | 15 (100) | 35 (97.2) | 1 β |
| Headache, n (%) | 3 (20) | 9 (25) | 1 β |
| Vomiting, n (%) | 5 (33.3) | 8 (22.2) | 0.487 β |
| Meningeal irritation sign, n (%) | 3 (20) | 5 (13.8) | 0.679 β |
| Laboratory findings | |||
| Median WBC count/mm3 (IQR) | 11,570 (8000–19400) | 11 220 (8890–16590) | 0.465; Z = -0.730 |
| Mean Hb (g/dl) ± SD | 11.2 ± 0.55 | 11.08 ± 0.29 | 0.768 α |
| Median Plt count (IQR) (103/µl) | 311,000 (272,300–414000) | 277,000 (219,000–468000) | 0.539; Z = -0.614 |
| Median CRP (mg/L) (IQR) | 42.1 (18.1–119) | 23.5 (1.9–95) | 0.129; Z = -1.519 |
| Median neutrophil percentage (IQR) | 76.6 (58–81) | 69.1 (45.6–84.9) | 0.435; Z = -0.781 |
| Median lymphocyte percentage (IQR) | 17.9 (6–24.5) | 21 (10.1–41.9) | 0.340; Z = -0.955 |
| Median CSF protein (mg/dL) (IQR) | 63.5 (31.6–150) | 44.6 (26.4–118.4) | 0.502; Z = -0.672 |
| Median CSF glucose (mg/dL) (IQR) | 63.6 (52.1–66.7) | 60.3 (29.9–76.3) | 0.549; Z = -0.600 |
| Median CSF leukocyte number/microL (IQR) | 210 (30–1360) | 100 (40–980) | 0.782; Z = -0.277 |
WBC White blood cell, CRP C-reactive protein, Hb Hemoglobin, Plt Platelet, CSF Cerebrospinal fluid, SD Standard deviation, PICU Pediatric intensive care unit, IQR Interquartile range (25%–75%)
*p < 0.05 statistically significant; Z, Mann–Whitney U test; α, Independent samples t-test; β, Fisher’s exact test