Table 1. Demographic characteristics of children patients with acute bacterial meningitis and univariate analysis for factors associated with mortality.
Abbreviations: IQR: interquartile range, NA: not applicable, OR: odds ratio, CI: confidence interval
Notes: The analysis was made via 1linear model ANOVA and 2Pearson's chi-squared test. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
| Variables | Subgroups | Total (n=387) | Alive (N=372, 96.1%) | Died (N=15, 3.9%) | OR (95% CI) | p-value |
| Age (year) | Median (IQR) | 1.0 (1.0 to 4.0) | 3.0 (2.0 to 6.5) | 1.0 (1.0 to 4.0) | 1.15 (1.00-1.31) | 0.0251 |
| Gender | Male | 237 (61.2) | 225 (60.5) | 12 (80.0) | Reference group | 0.1282 |
| Female | 150 (38.8) | 147 (39.5) | 3 (20.0) | 0.38 (0.09-1.23) | ||
| Nutritional status | Normal | 322 (83.2) | 318 (85.5) | 4 (26.7) | Reference group | < 0.0012 |
| Malnourished | 65 (16.8) | 54 (14.5) | 11 (73.3) | 16.19 (5.33-60.14) | ||
| Residency | Urban | 169 (43.7) | 166 (44.6) | 3 (20.0) | Reference group | 0.0592 |
| Rural | 218 (56.3) | 206 (55.4) | 12 (80.0) | 3.22 (1.00-14.32) | ||
| Season | Winter | 343 (88.6) | 333 (89.5) | 10 (66.7) | Reference group | 0.0062 |
| Summer | 44 (11.4) | 39 (10.5) | 5 (33.3) | 4.27 (1.28-12.68) | ||
| Temperature | Afebrile | 24 (6.2) | 23 (6.2) | 1 (6.7) | Reference group | 0.9392 |
| Febrile (> 38℃) | 363 (93.8) | 349 (93.8) | 14 (93.3) | 0.92 (0.17-17.08) | ||
| Seizure | No | 288 (74.4) | 282 (75.8) | 6 (40.0) | Reference group | 0.0022 |
| Yes | 99 (25.6) | 90 (24.2) | 9 (60.0) | 4.70 (1.65-14.36) | ||
| Vomiting | No | 180 (46.5) | 170 (45.7) | 10 (66.7) | Reference group | 0.1102 |
| Yes | 207 (53.5) | 202 (54.3) | 5 (33.3) | 0.42 (0.13-1.21) | ||
| Bulging fontanelle | No | 375 (96.9) | 360 (96.8) | 15 (100.0) | Reference group | 0.4802 |
| Yes | 12 (3.1) | 12 (3.2) | 0 (0.0) | NA | ||
| Altered mental status | Not change | 271 (70.0) | 268 (72.0) | 3 (20.0) | Reference group | < 0.0012 |
| Decreased | 116 (30.0) | 104 (28.0) | 12 (80.0) | 10.52 (3.25-47.01) | ||
| Headache | No | 368 (95.1) | 354 (95.2) | 14 (93.3) | Reference group | 0.7482 |
| Yes | 19 (4.9) | 18 (4.8) | 1 (6.7) | 1.40 (0.08-7.61) | ||
| Stiff neck | No | 376 (97.2) | 361 (97.0) | 15 (100.0) | Reference group | 0.4992 |
| Yes | 11 (2.8) | 11 (3.0) | 0 (0.0) | NA | ||
| Skin rash | No | 381 (98.4) | 366 (98.4) | 15 (100.0) | Reference group | 0.6202 |
| Yes | 6 (1.6) | 6 (1.6) | 0 (0.0) | NA | ||
| Local paralysis | No | 385 (99.5) | 370 (99.5) | 15 (100.0) | Reference group | 0.7762 |
| Yes | 2 (0.5) | 2 (0.5) | 0 (0.0) | NA | ||
| Antibiotics week prior | Yes | 370 (95.6) | 356 (95.7) | 14 (93.3) | Reference group | 0.6612 |
| No | 17 (4.4) | 16 (4.3) | 1 (6.7) | 1.59 (0.09-8.70) | ||
| Vaccination status | Complete | 290 (74.9) | 277 (74.5) | 13 (86.7) | Reference group | 0.2852 |
| Incomplete | 97 (25.1) | 95 (25.5) | 2 (13.3) | 0.45 (0.07-1.66) | ||
| Duration of symptoms before hospitalization | ≤ 5 days | 329 (85.0) | 321 (86.3) | 8 (53.3) | Reference group | < 0.0012 |
| > 5 days | 58 (15.0) | 51 (13.7) | 7 (46.7) | 5.51 (1.86-15.99) |