Table 6.
Characteristics of patients with S. suis meningitis confirmed by CSF and/or blood culture and PCR, or only confirmed by PCR
| Characteristics | CSF and/or blood culture and PCR positive (n = 67) | PCR positive (n = 43) | P valuea |
|---|---|---|---|
| General information | |||
| Age, median (IQR) | 48 (38–56) | 53 (45–61) | 0.026 |
| Male sex (n, %) | 57 (85.1) | 34 (79.1) | 0.416 |
| Residence (rural) (n, %) | 53 (79.1) | 32 (74.41) | 0.567 |
| Underlying diseases and exposure | |||
| Diabetes mellitus (n, %) | 1 (1.5) | 6 (13.0) | 0.010 |
| Alcoholism (n, %) | 8 (11.9) | 2 (4.7) | 0.194 |
| Pig exposure (n, %) | 26 (38.8) | 14 (32.6) | 0.506 |
| Clinical manifestations | |||
| Days of illness, median (IQR) | 3 (3–5) | 5 (4–7) | 0.004 |
| Antimicrobial therapy before admission (n, %) | 35 (53.2) | 38 (88.4) | <0.001 |
| Fever (n, %) | 65 (97.0) | 42 (97.7) | 0.522 |
| Headache (n, %) | 67 (100) | 42 (97.7) | 0.391 |
| Nausea/vomiting (n, %) | 49 (73.1) | 27 (62.8) | 0.252 |
| Neck stiffness (n, %) | 61 (91.0) | 40 (93.0) | 1.000 |
| Glasgow Coma Score, median (IQR) | 12 (9–14) | 13 (9–15) | 0.159 |
| Tinnitus (n, %) | 50 (74.6) | 27 (62.8) | 0.118 |
| Deafness (n, %) | 19 (28.4) | 11 (25.6) | 0.714 |
| Skin injuries (n, %) | 18 (26.9) | 13 (30.2) | 0.702 |
| Herpes labialis (n, %) | 29 (43.3) | 21 (48.8) | 0.568 |
| Laboratory investigations median (IQR) | |||
| ▪ Blood | |||
| White blood cells (103/L) | 18 000 (12 400–23 000) | 16 840 (12 600–23 550) | 0.941 |
| Neutrophil (%) | 88 (83–91) | 86.3 (80.3–90) | 0.131 |
| ▪ CSF | |||
| White cells (103/L) | 1570 (760–3480) | 1340 (340–2900) | 0.153 |
| Neutrophil (%) | 86 (74–91) | 70 (49–85) | 0.002 |
| Protein (g/L) | 1.6 (1.3–2) | 1.63 (1.2–2) | 0.402 |
| CSF/blood glucose ratio | 0.24 (0.15–0.31) | 0.40 (0.29–0.5) | <0.001 |
| Lactate (mmol/L) | 11.2 (6.8–15.7) | 5.73 (4.4–8.3) | <0.001 |
| Outcome (survival) | 67 (100) | 40 (100)b | |
a
Determined using Fisher exact test or Wilcoxon rank-sum test, as appropriate.
b
Three patients were transferred to other hospitals and their outcomes are unknown.