Table 1 Implicated pathogens of the 261 elderly and non-elderly patients with bacterial meningitis

Gram positive

(n = 34) (39%)

(n = 62) (36%)

   Staphylococcus

(n = 17) (19%)

(n = 38) (22%)

Staphylococcus aureus

11 (13%)

20 (11%)

Coagulase- negative staphylococci

1 (1%)

10 (6%)

Staphylococcus epidermidis

4 (5%)

6 (3%)

Staphylococcus haemolyticus

2 (1%)

Staphylococcus saprophyticus

1 (1%)

   Streptococcus

(n = 9) (10%)

(n = 16) (9%)

Viridian streptococci

3 (3%)

7 (4%)

Streptococcus pneumoniae

4 (5%)

8 (5%)

Group A beta-streptococci

1 (1%)

Group B beta-streptococci

1 (1%)

1 (0.5%)

   Enterococcus

(n = 6) (7%)

(n = 3) (2%)

Enterococcus faecalis

4 (5%)

3 (2%)

Enterococcus facium

1 (1%)

Enterococcus sp

1 (1%)

   Listeria monocytogenes

1 (1%)

2 (1%)

   Corynebacterium

1 (1%)

2 (1%)

   Micrococcus

1 (0.5%)

Gram negative

(n = 43) (49%)

(n = 82) (47%)

   Acinetobacter

(n = 9) (10%)

(n = 13) (7%)

Acinetobacter baumannii

7 (8%)

12 (7%)

Acinetobacter lwoffii

2 (2%)

Acinetobacter sp.

1 (0.5%)

   Pseudomonas

(n = 4) (4%)

(n = 13) (7%)

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

2 (2%)

9 (5%)

Pseudomonas mendocina

1 (1%)

1 (0.5%)

Pseudomonas stutzeri

1 (1%)

1 (0.5%)

Pseudomonas putida

1 (0.5%)

Pseudomonas spp.

1 (0.5%)

   Enterobacter

(n = 4) (4%)

(n = 7) (4%)

Enterobacter cloacae

3 (3%)

5 (3%)

Enterobacter aerogenes

1 (1%)

2 (1%)

   Klebsiella pneumoniae

16 (18%)

31 (18%)

   E coli

4 (5%)

7 (4%)

   Salmonella

2 (2%)

1 (0.5%)

   Proteus mirabilis

2 (2%)

   Serratia marcences

1 (1%)

2 (1%)

   Elizabethkingia meningoseptica

1 (1%)

   Others

8^a (4%)

Mixed infection

10 (11%)

30 (17%)