Table 2.
Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of children vs. adults with brucellosis in two geographical areas in Israel
| Characteristic | Adults (N = 47) | Children (N = 58) | Total (N = 105) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gender, n (%) | ||||
| Male | 19 (40) | 29 (50) | 48 (46) | 0.56 |
| Female | 28 (60) | 29 (50) | 57 (54) | |
| Osteoarticular manifestations, n (%) | 17 (36) | 35 (60) | 52 (49) | 0.05 |
| Hepatomegaly and/or splenomegaly, n (%) | 11 (35) | 9 (16) | 20 (23) | 0.06 |
| Fever at presentation, n (%) | 36 (77) | 50 (86) | 86 (82) | 0.66 |
| Days to diagnosis (mean ± SD) | 20.7 ± 20.7 | 14.2 ± 13.5 | 16.9 ± 17.2 | 0.07 |
| Patients hospitalized, n (%) | 30 (64) | 54 (93) | 84 (80) | 0.001 |
| Hospitalization days (median ± SD) | 5 ± 4.17 | 7 ± 3.4.3 | 6 ± 3.93 | 0.001 |
| ALT, U/L > twice upper limit, n (%) | (0) 0 | 7 (12) | 7 (7) | 0.02 |
| LDH, U/L (mean ± SD) | 799 ± 377 | 722 ± 494 | 763 ± 434 | 0.49 |
| WBC/μL (mean ± SD) | 5.76 ± 2.09 | 6.43 ± 2.59 | 6.14 ± 2.39 | 0.15 |
| CRP, mg/dL (mean ± SD) | 5.57 ± 6.3 | 2.28 ± 2.08 | 3.71 ± 4.70 | 0.001 |
| Positive blood culture (%) | 82 | 62 | 70 | 0.29 |
| Average time to positive blood culture (days) (mean ± SD) | 3.56 ± 0.9 | 2.56 ± 1.16 | 3 ± 1.17 | 0.008 |
ALT = alanine aminotransferase; CRP = C-reactive protein; LDH = lactate dehydrogenase; SD = standard deviation; WBC = white blood cells.