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Table 2 Clinical comparison of the elderly and non-elderly patients with bacterial meningitis

From: Clinical characteristics and prognosis of acute bacterial meningitis in elderly patients over 65: a hospital-based study

Factors

Elderly patients

Non-elderly patients

p

 

(n = 87)

(n = 174)

 

Age (years); median (range)

71 (65 - 87)

48 (18 - 64)

 

Gender

   

Male

53

128

0.046*

Female

34

46

 

Underlying condition

   

Diabetes mellitus

30

38

0.036*

Liver cirrhosis

3

13

0.277

Alcoholism

4

12

0.590

End stage renal diseases

6

3

0.064

Malignancy

4

24a

0.032*

Spontaneous

39

52

0.019*

Community-acquired

44

67

0.084

Clinical presentation

   

Fever

75

142

0.386

Altered consciousness

54

86

0.065

Seizure

26

41

0.294

Shock

10

17

0.671

Hydrocephalus

33

66

1.000

Brain abscess

7

18

0.659

Liver abscess

2

7

0.722

Positive blood culture

18

44

0.444

Leukocytosis

46

117

0.030*

Cerebrospinal fluid, median (IQR)

   

White cell count (109/L)

0.32 (0.07, 0.87)

0.37 (0.08, 2.00)

 

Glucose (mmol/L)

2.50 (0.77, 4.20)

2.53 (0.33, 4.13)

 

Protein (g/L)

1.85 (0.88, 4.11)

1.93 (0.68, 5.39)

 

Lactate (mmol/L)

8.25 (4.29, 15.51)

8.31 (4.41, 16.15)

 

Prognosis

   

Survived

53

126

0.067

Expired

34

48

 
  1. *Fisher's exact test (p < 0.05); **Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05)
  2. Logistic regression analysis showed independent factor of "leukocytosis" (p = 0.018)
  3. IQR = inter-quartile range (25%, 75%)
  4. a Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in 10 patients, lung cancer in 6 patients, breast cancer in 3 patients, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in 2 patients, Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1 patient, plasma cell leukemia in 1 patient, buccal cancer in 1 patient, bladder in 1 patient and both NPC and HCC in 1 patient.