Table 3.
Demographic and laboratory characteristics of patients with confirmed viral CNS infection (encephalitis + meningitis) and bacterial CNS infection
| Characteristics | Viral CNS infection (n = 8) |
Bacterial CNS infection (n = 9) |
P |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years, median (IQR) | 6 (1.6–8.75) | 3 (0.75–6) | 0.289; Z = -1.061 |
| Length of stay (days) | 14 (10.5–15.75) | 14 (13–27) | 0.354; Z = -0.927 |
| Need for PICU admission, n (%) | 1 (12.5) | 5 (55.5) | 0.131 β |
| Fever, n (%) | 8 (100) | 9 (100) | - |
| Headache, n (%) | 2 (40) | 1 (11.1) | 0.576 β |
| Median WBC count/mm3 (IQR) | 12,790 (8282–18,042) | 19,140 (10,447–21475) | 0.336; Z = -0.962 |
| Mean Hb (g/dl) ± SD | 12.05 ± 1.33 | 10.62 ± 2.35 | 0.154 α |
| Median NLR (IQR) | 3.9 (1.1–5.6) | 4.9 (2.4–15) | 0.386; Z = -0.866 |
| Median Plt count (IQR) (103/µl) | 302,500 (202,500–415000) | 361,400 (293,500–470950) | 0.336; Z = -0.962 |
| Median CRP (mg/L) (IQR) | 15.2 (1.1–29.5) | 78.2 (33.9–249.6) | 0.007*; Z = -2.694 |
| Median neutrophil percentage (IQR) | 71.8 (41.1–77) | 77.9 (56.5–86.4) | 0.194; Z = -1.300 |
| Median lymphocyte percentage (IQR) | 17.9 (14.05–45.9) | 5.5 (2.5–15.8) | 0.501; Z = -0.674 |
| Median CSF protein (mg/dL) (IQR) | 42.3 (27.9–62.1) | 68.9 (32.5–294.6) | 0.102; Z = -1.636 |
| Median CSF glucose (mg/dL) (IQR) | 64.1 (63.5–66.5) | 53.9 (19.5–89.6) | 0.178; Z = -1.348 |
| Median CSF leukocyte number (IQR)/microL | 85 (30–252) | 385 (40–1520) | 0.527; Z = -0.632 |
| CSF PCR assay (n) |
HSV-1 (2) Enterovirus (6) |
E. coli (1) | |
| CSF culture (n) | - |
S. pneumoniae (3) S. viridians (1) L. monocytogenes (1) S. epidermidis (1) S. hominis (1) S. marcescens (1) |
CNS Central nervous system, 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%), NLR Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, E. coli Escherichia coli, S. Pneumoniae Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. viridians Streptococcus viridians, L. monocytogenes Listeria monocytogenes, S. epidermidis Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. hominis Staphylococcus hominis, S. marcescens Serratia marcescens, HSV Herpes simplex virus
*p < 0.05 statistically significant; Z, Mann–Whitney U test; α, Independent samples t-test; β, Fisher’s exact test