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. 2022 Jul 12;12(7):e062698. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062698

Table 3.

Multivariate analysis of the association between baseline covariates and in-hospital mortality in 303 patients with confirmed bacterial meningitis using logistic regression modelling

Baseline covariate N In-hospital mortality N (%)* Crude OR for in-hospital mortality (95% CI) P value Adjusted OR for in-hospital mortality (95% CI)† P value‡
Sex
 Male 173 26 (15.1) 1
 Female 130 12 (9.23) 0.57 (0.27 to 1.18) 0.13
Age group
 ≤18 years 18 0 (0)
 19–59 years 159 18 (11.3) 1
 ≥60 years 126 20 (16.0) 1.49 (0.75 to 2.96) 0.25
Blood culture positive
 No 137 11 (8.09) 1 1
 Yes 166 27 (16.3) 2.21 (1.04 to 4.67) 0.03 1.87 (0.87 to 4.01) 0.10
GCS≤13§
 No 124 8 (6.45) 1 1
 Yes 148 27 (18.2) 3.24 (1.39 to 7.52) 0.004 2.90 (1.26 to 6.71) 0.008
IV dexamethasone given¶
 No 149 23 (15.4) 1 1
 Yes 150 14 (9.40) 0.57 (0.27 to 1.16) 0.11 0.57 (0.28 to 1.17) 0.12
Intravenous dexamethasone given if Streptococcus pneumoniae**
 No 73 16 (21.9) 1 1
 Yes 97 11 (11.5) 0.46 (0.20 to 1.08) 0.07 0.47 (0.20 to 1.10) 0.08
Final diagnosis S. pneumoniae
 No 131 10 (7.63) 1 1
 Yes 172 28 (16.4) 2.37 (1.10 to 5.11) 0.02 2.08 (0.96 to 4.48) 0.05
ICU admission††
 No 144 7 (4.86) 1 1
 Yes 157 31 (19.7) 4.81 (1.99 to 11.60) <0.001 4.28 (1.81 to 10.1) <0.001

*7/11 patient with progressing rash, 131/176 patients with GCS <13 and 13/16 patients with uncontrolled seizures.

†Adjusted for sex and age group.

‡P value from Likelihood ratio test comparing models with and without primary exposure variable.

§31/303 (10%) participants did not have a GCS recorded.

¶4/303 (1%) participants had missing data on intravenous dexamethasone administration.

**2/172 (1%) participants with confirmed S. pneumoniae meningitis had missing data on intravenous dexamethasone administration.

††1/303 (0.3%) participants had missing data on ICU admission.

GCS, Glasgow Coma Score.