Table 3. Multivariate analysis for factors associated with mortality in pediatric patients with acute bacterial meningitis.
Abbreviations: SD: standard deviation, WBC: white blood cell, CSF: cerebrospinal fluid, OR: odds ratio, CI: confidence interval
Note: A p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
*Other germs are Neisseria meningitides and Haemophilus influenza type b.
| Variables | Subgroups | Alive (N=372, 96.1%) | Died (N=15, 3.9%) | OR (95% CI) | p-value |
| Age (year) | Mean ± SD | 4.7 ± 4.2 | 2.9 ± 3.0 | 1.77 (1.18-2.94) | 0.010 |
| Nutritional status | Normal | 318 (98.8) | 4 (1.2) | Reference group | 0.001 |
| Malnourished | 54 (83.1) | 11 (16.9) | 480.82 (27.78-56020.49) | ||
| Season | Winter | 333 (97.1) | 10 (2.9) | Reference group | 0.241 |
| Summer | 39 (88.6) | 5 (11.4) | 5.43 (0.38-166.37) | ||
| Seizure | No | 282 (97.9) | 6 (2.1) | Reference group | 0.246 |
| Yes | 90 (90.9) | 9 (9.1) | 3.31 (0.42-26.74) | ||
| Altered mental status | Not change | 268 (98.9) | 3 (1.1) | Reference group | 0.002 |
| Decreased | 104 (89.7) | 12 (10.3) | 1536.83 (42.82-658144.96) | ||
| Duration of symptoms before hospitalization | ≤ 5 days | 321 (97.6) | 8 (2.4) | Reference group | 0.005 |
| > 5 days | 51 (87.9) | 7 (12.1) | 161.84 (9.97-16700.53) | ||
| CSF culture | Streptococcus pneumonia | 370 (96.6) | 13 (3.4) | - | 0.150 |
| Other* | 2 (50.0) | 2 (50.0) | 136.38 (0.66-127894.04) | ||
| CSF WBCs | ≥2000 per μL | 322 (97.3) | 9 (2.7) | - | 0.655 |
| <2000 per μL | 50 (89.3) | 6 (10.7) | 1.63 (0.15-12.91) |