Table 2.
Characteristics of included patients.
| Characteristics | N = 99 n (%) |
|---|---|
| Age | |
| Median [range] | 5 (0–12) |
| <12 months | 26 (26.3) |
| 1–4 years | 23 (23.2) |
| ≥ 5 years | 50 (50.5) |
| Gender | |
| Male | 58 (58.6) |
| Female | 41 (41.4) |
| History | |
| Fever | 99 (100) |
| Vomiting | 52 (52.5) |
| Diarrhea | 2 (2.0) |
| Reduced feeding/eating & drinking | 3 (3.0) |
| Lethargic | 18 (18.2) |
| Headache (N = 50) | 46 (92.0) |
| Seizure | 2 (2.0) |
| Antimicrobial auto-medication prior to admission | 12 (12.1) |
| Symptoms duration before admission (days), median (range) | 2 (1–7) |
| Transfer from district hospitals | 24 (24.2) |
| Physical findings | |
| Stiff neck | 45 (45.4) |
| Altered/reduced consciousness | 3 (3.0) |
| Focal neurological symptoms | 2 (2.0) |
| Irritability (N = 50) | 6 (12.0) |
| Bulging fontanelle (N = 26) | 23 (88.5) |
| Purpuric rash | 1 (1.0) |
| Laboratory findings | |
| Blood examination | |
| White blood cells | |
| Normal | 5 (5.1) |
| Elevated CRP |
94 (94.9) |
| Normal | 30 (30.3) |
| Elevated | 69 (69.7) |
| CSF laboratory examination | |
| WBC | |
| <10 | 16 (16.2) |
| 10–<100 | 25 (25.2) |
| ≥ 100 | 58 (58.6) |
| Protein | |
| ≤ 1.0 g/L | 87 (87.9) |
| >1.0 g/L | 12 (12.1) |
| Glucose | |
| ≥ 2.2 mmol/L | 94 (95.0) |
| < 2.2 mmol/L | 5 (5.0) |
CRP: C-reactive protein; CSF: cerebrospinal fluid; WBC: white blood cell.