Table 3.

Associations Between Baseline Variables and 2-Week Mortality

Variable	Category	No.	2-wk Mortality	OR (95% CI), Univariable	P Value	AOR (95% CI), Multivariablea,b	P Value
Age	<50 y	462	16% (73)	1	.009	1	.02
	≥50 y	24	38% (9)	3.2 (1.3–7.8)		3.9 (1.4–11.1)
Sex	Female	237	15% (36)	1	.5
	Male	255	18% (46)	1.2 (.7–2.0)
Seizures	No	397	14% (56)	1	.007
	Yes	91	27% (25)	2.2 (1.2–3.9)
Mental status	Normal	372	11% (39)	1	<.001	1	<.001
	Abnormal	119	36% (43)	4.8 (2.9–8.0)		3.1 (1.7–5.9)
Weight	<50 kg	175	17% (30)	1	.13
	≥50 kg	282	10% (30)	0.7 (.4–1.1)
Pulse	≤100 bpm	395	15% (58)	1	.033
	>100 bpm	88	24% (21)	1.9 (1.1–3.3)
Respiratory rate	≤20 bpm	368	13% (49)	1	.002
	>20 bpm	87	26% (23)	2.6 (1.4–4.7)
CD4 cell count	<25 cells/µL	229	17% (39)	1	.05	1	.07
	25–49 cells/µL	106	8% (8)	0.4 (.2–.9)		0.4 (.2–.9)
	50–99 cells/µL	74	7% (5)	0.4 (.1–.9)		0.5 (.2–1.4)
	≥100 cells/µL	39	13% (5)	0.7 (.3–1.9)		1.1 (.4–3.2)
Hemoglobin	≥7.5 g/dL	429	15% (65)	1	.02
	<7.5 g/dL	28	32% (9)	2.8 (1.2–6.7)
White blood cell count	≤10 × 109/L	382	14% (53)	1	<.001	1	.002
	>10 × 109/L	21	48% (10)	6.7 (2.6–17.7)		8.7 (2.5–30.2)
CSF opening pressure	≤25 cm CSF	216	18% (38)	1	.488
	>25 cm CSF	226	16% (37)	0.8 (.5–1.4)
CSF white cell count	≤20 × 106/L	272	20% (54)	1	.017
	>20 × 106/L	183	11% (20)	0.5 (.3–0.9)
QCC	1st tertile	163	9% (15)	1	<.001	1.4 (1.0–1.8)	.02
	2nd tertile	162	14% (22)	1.5 (.8–3.1)		(per log10 CFU/mL increase)c
	3rd tertile	163	27% (44)	3.6 (1.9–6.8)
Treatment	Fluconazole	99	26% (26)	1	.005	1	.05
	Amphotericin	393	14% (56)	0.5 (.3–.8)		0.5 (.3–1.0)

Abbreviations: AOR, adjusted odds ratio; CI, confidence interval; CFU, colony-forming units; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; OR, odds ratio; QCC, quantitative cryptococcal culture.

ORs and 95% CIs for both univariable and multivariable associations are adjusted for clustering by study using a random-effects term for “study” in a hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression model. There was very little evidence for significant clustering by study in either the 2-week or 10-week model (likelihood-ratio test of ρ = 0, P = .498 at both 2 and 10 weeks).

Numbers of patients included in each analysis are indicated in the table. A complete records analysis was performed rather than multiple imputation as there were relatively few missing data points in the key exposure and outcome variables, and missing variables in important exposure variables such as CD4 cell count were thought to be missing not at random, meaning imputation would not provide less biased results. It was suspected that lower values were associated with more advanced disease and that blood tests were deferred in the sickest patients until they could consent to CD4 testing, meaning patients with the lowest values may have been less likely to have a baseline test. A sensitivity analysis in which all patients lost to follow-up were assumed to be either alive or dead did not alter the findings of either the 2 or 10-week model.

^a Only variables included in the multivariable model are shown. Adjusted for treatment, CD4 count, age, mental status, and fungal burden (see footnote b). Number included in final model = 445.

^b Peripheral white cell count was significantly associated with 2-week mortality after adjustment, but was not included in the final model as observations were missing for 90 patients. Its inclusion in a model considering only the patients with complete data (n = 370) did not alter the magnitude or significance of the associations seen in the full model.

^c QCC is shown in the univariable analysis as a categorical variable for ease of interpretation, but was included in the multivariable model as a continuous variable to give a better fit.