Table 2.
Results of cell counts, glucose, protein and PCT in CSF and PCT in plasma per group
| Bacterial meningitis (n = 26) | CAM (n = 16) | PNM (n = 10) | Viral meningitis (n = 14) | Non‐infectious (n = 14) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSF leukocyte count × 106 per liter ave | 5,998 | 7,551 | 3,514 | 267 | 1 |
| Polynuclear cells × 106 per liter ave | 5,589 | 7,428 | 2,832 | 28 | 0.1 |
| Mononuclear cells × 106 per liter ave | 616 | 576 | 677 | 239 | 0.7 |
| Erythrocytes × 106 per liter ave | 23,649 | 12,892 | 408,597 | 180 | 287 |
| CSF glucose mmol L−1 ave | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
| CSF protein g L−1 ave | 3.3 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 1 | 0.4 |
| PCT in CSF ng mL−1Average (95% CI) | 0.61 (0.29–0.90) | 0.81 (0.31–1.31) | 0.29 (0.10–0.45) | 0.10 (0.08–0.12) | 0.08 (0.05–0.09) |
| PCT in plasma ng mL−1Median (IQR) | 0.5 (4.36) | 1.28 (6.82) | 0.05 (0.08) | 0.02 (0.02) | – |
| PCT ratio CSF:plasmaMedian (IQR) | 0.86 (2.79) | 0.18 (0.27) | 5.18 (4.69) | 3.00 (1.38) | – |
| Mean difference PCT in CSF versus non infectious (95% CI) | 0.74 ng mL−1 (0.20–1.28) | 0.73 ng mL−1 (0.20–1.27) | 0.21 ng mL−1 (0.05–0.37) | 0.30 ng mL−1 (−0.001 to 0.05) | – |
| Mean difference PCT in CSF versus Viral meningitis (95% CI) | 0.73 ng mL−1 (0.19–1.27) | 0.71 ng mL−1 (0.18–1.25) | 0.18 ng mL−1 (0.02–0.34) | – | – |
CAM, community‐acquired meningitis; PNM, postneurosurgical meningitis; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; PCT, procalcitonin.