Table 1.
Characteristics at admission
| Characteristics | Number of patients (%) |
|---|---|
| Male |
65 (64%) |
| Age, median (range) |
47 (16–81) |
|
Comorbidities * |
47 (46%) |
| Diabetes |
6 (6%) |
| Alcohol |
4 (4%) |
| Malignancy |
6 (6%) |
| Renal failure |
4 (4%) |
| Surgery |
8 (8%) |
| IVDU |
7 (7%) |
| HIV |
2 (2%) |
| Congenital heart disease/endocarditis |
4 (4%) |
| Other |
11 (11%) |
|
Presenting symptoms and signs |
|
| Fever |
61 (60%) |
| Neck stiffness |
26 (25%)- missing data on 10% of patients |
| Headache |
73 (72%) |
| Nausea/ vomiting |
41 (40%) |
| Focal neurological deficits |
58 (57%) |
| Seizures |
21 (21%) |
| Impaired consciousness |
46 (45%) |
| Fever and headache and nausea/vomiting |
20 (20%) |
| Fever and headache and focal deficits |
23 (23%) |
| GCS at presentation |
|
| 12-15 |
79 (77%) |
| 8-11 |
10 (10%) |
| <8 |
9(9%) |
| Missing GCS- score | 4 (5%) |
*: 12 patients had more than one comorbidity. GCS: Glasgow Coma Score, IVDU: Intravenous Drug User.