Table 4.

Summary of prognostic factors.

Prognostic factor	Moderate/high quality studies with multivariate analysis				Moderate/high quality studies with univariate analysis				Low quality studies with multivariate analysis	Low quality studies with univariate analysis
	Hearing loss	Mortality	Neurological sequelae	Poor outcome	Hearing loss	Mortality	Neurological sequelae	Poor outcome	All outcomes	All outcomes
History of symptoms >48 h	1x			1x					1x
Coma/impaired consciousness		2x	2x	2x	1x	4x	1x	3x	1x	6x
Seizures		1x	2x	2x		2x	1x	2x	2x	4x
Shock/hypotension						3x	1x	2x		3x
Peripheral circulatory failure		1x		1x		1x				1x
Severe respiratory distress		1x				1x				1x
Prolonged fever (>7 days)			1x				1x	1x
Seizures >12 h after admission						1x		2x	1x
Low peripheral WBC count				2x	1x	3x	1x	2x	2x	3x
Low CSF WBC count			1x	1x		1x	1x	1x	2x	3x
Low CSF glucose level	2x			1x		1x	1x	1x	2x	6x
High CSF protein level		1x		1x	1x	2x		1x		4x
S. pneumonia as causative pathogen	2x		2x	1x
Young age						1x	1x	2x	1x	1x
<1 years						1x		1x	1x	1x
<2 years							1x	1x
Male gender	1x		1x	1x					2x
Fever >40°C			1x			1x
Absence of petechiae	1x		1x						1x