Table 1.
Clinical parameters of the overall early-diagnosed and late-diagnosed groups.
| Total (n = 30) | Early-diagnosed group (n = 17) | Late-diagnosed group (n = 13) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sex (male) | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0.48 |
| Age at onset | 5.5 (4.3–7.5) | 5.5 (2.5–6.8) | 6.1 (4.8–7.8) | 0.5 |
| Overall delay (days from onset to final diagnosis) | 9 (6–20.5) | 6 (5–8) | 22 (15–27) | NA |
| Physicians’ delay (days from first visit to final diagnosis) | 5.5 (3–14) | 3 (2–4) | 15 (12–22) | 0.000046 |
| Patients’ delay (days from onset to first visit) | 4 (2–8) | 3 (2–5) | 8 (3–9) | 0.087 |
| Number of misdiagnoses | 2 (1–3) | 1 (1–2) | 3 (2–4) | 0.0002 |
| Symptoms | ||||
| Fever | 25 | 12 | 13 | 0.05 |
| Days the symptom appears | 1 (1–1) | 1 (1–2.5) | 1 (1–1) | 0.46 |
| Headache | 24 | 12 | 12 | 0.19 |
| Days the symptom appears | 3 (1–4) | 2.5 (1.8–3) | 3 (1–5) | 0.53 |
| Encephalopathy | 21 | 13 | 8 | 0.44 |
| Days the symptom appears | 5 (3–8) | 4 (3–6) | 13 (7.5–22) | 0.009 |
| Weakness | 14 | 8 | 6 | 1 |
| Days the symptom appears | 6.5 (3.5–13) | 4 (1.8–6.3) | 16.5 (9–22) | 0.013 |
| Sensory deficit | 17 | 8 | 9 | 0.28 |
| Days the symptom appears | 4 (4–11) | 3.5 (2.8–4) | 11 (6–14) | 0.0025 |
| Autonomic dysfunction | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0.11 |
| Days the symptom appears | 4.5 (3- 8.8) | 3.5 (2.8–5.8) | 15.5 (14–17) | 0.036 |
| Neurological exams | ||||
| Neck stiffness | 21 | 10 | 11 | 0.22 |
| Paralysis | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.025 |
| Autonomic involvement | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0.04 |
| Laboratory data | ||||
| White blood cells (× 103/µL) | 13.03 (8.56–17.31) | 9.48 (6.54–14.15) | 15.04 (12.36–22.26) | < 0.01 |
| Stab (%) | 74.5 (63–81) | 68 (50–74) | 81 (78–84) | 0.00037 |
| C-reactive protein (mg/dL) | 0.45 (0.2–1.4) | 0.2 (0.2–0.7) | 1.4 (0.9–2.8) | 0.0058 |
| CSF | ||||
| Days the CSF were collected | 8 (4–9) | 5 (3–8) | 11 (12–22) | 0.0042 |
| CSF-white cell count (/µL) | 116 (30–330) | 82 | 164 | > 0.05 |
| CSF-stab (/µL) | 13 (4–62) | 6 | 28 | 0.06 |
| Interventions | ||||
| ICU admission | 12 | 10 | 2 | 0.025 |
| Broad-spectrum antibiotics | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0.26 |
| Prognosis | ||||
| Death | 0 | 0 | 0 | NA |
| Initial EDSS at admission | 8 (5–9) | 8.5 (8–9) | 5 (3–7.5) | 0.0035 |
| Neurological deficits at discharge | 16 | 14 | 2 | 0.0006 |
Numbers in parentheses denote interquartile ranges.
CSF cerebrospinal fluids, ICU intensive care unit, EDSS expanded disability status score, NA not applicable.