Table 2.
Comparison between patients with and without immunosuppressive medicationa
| Characteristic | immunosuppressive medication + | immunosuppressive medication – | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65 (19–91) | 61 (17–94) | 0.002 |
| Female | 30/87 (34) | 674/1348 (50) | 0.006 |
| Symptoms and signs on admission | |||
| Headache | 56/78 (72) | 962/1161 (83) | 0.02 |
| Neck stiffness | 51/85 (60) | 945/1261 (75) | 0.005 |
| Triad of fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status | 31/86 (36) | 543/1283 (42) | 0.26 |
| Absence of fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status | 7/87 (8) | 43/1334 (3) | 0.03 |
| Predisposing factorsb | 23/87 (26) | 266/1348 (20) | 0.13 |
| Distant focus of infection | 25/82 (30) | 581/1289 (45) | 0.01 |
| Blood chemistry testsc | |||
| Leukocyte count (×109/L) | 13.9 (0.1–45.6) | 17.1 (0.1–99.8) | 0.0001 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 163 (3–500) | 192 (0–752) | 0.28 |
| Indexes of inflammation in CSFd | |||
| Leukocyte count (cells/mm3) | 1368 (5–46,500) | 2560 (0–463,149) | 0.003 |
| Leukocyte count <1000 cells/mm3 | 39/85 (46) | 401/1234 (32) | 0.02 |
| Protein (g/L) | 3.00 (0.45–11.0) | 4.00 (0.02–50.0) | P < 0.0005 |
| CSF/blood glucose ratio | 0.17 (0.0–0.89) | 0.04 (0.0–1.67) | 0.003 |
| Causative organism | |||
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 37/87 (43) | 981/1348 (73) | P < 0.0001 |
| Listeria monocytogenes | 35/87 (40) | 43/1348 (3) | P < 0.0001 |
| Haemophilus influenzae | 6/87 (7) | 44/1348 (3) | 0.12 |
| Neisseria meningitidis | 2/87 (2) | 147/1348 (11) | 0.006 |
| Othere | 7/87 (8) | 133/1348 (10) | 0.71 |
| Outcome | |||
| Unfavorable outcome | 39/87 (45) | 495/1348 (37) | 0.14 |
| Mortality | 22/87 (25) | 219/1348 (16) | 0.04 |
| Neurological sequelae | 18/53 (34) | 360/997 (36) | 0.88 |
CSF cerebrospinal fluid
aData are presented as n/N (%), or median (range)
bOther than immunosuppressive medication
cLeukocyte count was known in 86 and 1327 episodes and C-reactive protein in 85 and 1283
dCSF leukocyte count was known in 85 and 1234 episodes, CSF protein levels in 85 and 1275 episodes, and CSF blood to glucose ratio in 77 and 1249 episodes
eSee Table 2 for details of causative organisms