Table 1 Demographics, clinical signs and symptoms and summary of cerebrospinal fluid investigations of all study patients and comparison between groups of encephalitis, nonbacterial meningoencephalitis, nonbacterial meningitis and bacterial meningoencephalitis or meningitis defined by the clinical syndrome
From: Meningitis, meningoencephalitis and encephalitis in Bern: an observational study of 258 patients
All | Encephalitis | Nonbacterial Meningo- encephalitis | Nonbacterial Meningitis | Bacterial Meningoencephalitis or Meningitis | p valueb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total n (%) | 258 (100) | 46 (17.8) | 109 (42.2) | 70 (27.1) | 33 (12.8) | |
Sex female n (%) | 126 (48.8) | 18 (39.1) | 53 (48.6) | 41 (58.6) | 14 (42.4) | 0.18 |
Median age (IQR) | 51.5 (33) | 60 (24) | 56 (36) | 38 (28) | 53 (19) | < 0.0001 |
Median days from clinical onset to hospital admission (IQR) | 5 (8) | 5.5 (18) | 7 (10) | 4 (5) | 2 (5) | < 0.0003 |
Symptoms or clinical signs | ||||||
Headachea | 183 (71, 65-76) | 12 (26, 15-41) | 85 (78, 69-85) | 63 (90, 80-95) | 23 (70, 52-83) | |
Fever | 150 (58, 52-64) | 17 (37, 24-52) | 73 (67, 58-75) | 38 (54, 42-66) | 22 (67, 49-81) | |
Meningism | 77 (30, 25-36) | 2 (4, 1-16) | 29 (27, 19-36) | 27 (39, 28-50) | 19 (58, 40-73) | |
Photo−/Phonophobia | 47 (18, 14-23) | 0 (0) | 16 (15, 9-23) | 27 (39, 9-23) | 4 (12, 5-28) | |
Nausea/vomiting | 98 (38, 32-44) | 8 (17, 9-31) | 40 (37, 28-46) | 40 (57, 45-68) | 10 (30, 17-48) | |
Epileptic Seizures | 73 (29, 23-34) | 27 (59, 44-72) | 32 (29, 22-39) | 2 (2, 1-11) | 12 (36, 22-54) | |
Sensory/motor deficits | 66 (26, 21-31) | 12 (26, 15-41) | 38 (35, 27-44) | 7 (10, 5-20) | 9 (27, 15-45) | |
Confusion | 74 (29, 24-35) | 27 (59, 44-72) | 31 (28, 21-38) | 6 (9, 4-18) | 10 (30, 17-48) | |
Cognitive impairment | 70 (27, 22-33) | 24 (52, 38-66) | 36 (33, 25-42) | 4 (6, 2-14) | 6 (18, 8-35) | |
Abnormal behaviour | 53 (21, 16-26) | 23 (50, 36-64) | 23 (21, 14-30) | 3 (4, 1-13) | 4 (12, 5-28) | |
Aphasia | 55 (21, 17-27) | 16 (35, 23-50) | 35 (32, 24-42) | 0 (0) | 4 (12, 5-28) | |
Vertigo | 48 (19, 14-24) | 9 (19, 11-34) | 28 (26, 18-35) | 9 (13, 7-23) | 2 (6, 2-21) | |
Gait disturbance | 45 (17, 13-23) | 11 (24, 14-38) | 28 (26, 18-35) | 2 (3, 1-11) | 4 (12, 5-28) | |
Cerebellar signs | 36 (14, 10-19) | 10 (22, 12-36) | 24 (22, 15-31) | 1 (1, 0-10) | 1 (3, 1-19) | |
Cranial nerve dysfunction | 37 (14, 11-19) | 2 (4, 1-16) | 24 (22, 15-31) | 4 (6, 2-14) | 7 (21, 10-38) | |
Impaired consciousness | 101 (39, 33-45) | 27 (59, 44-72) | 46 (42, 33-52) | 2 (3, 1-11) | 26 (79, 62-90) | |
GCS < 15 | 91 (35, 30-41) | 23 (54, 40-68) | 34 (37, 28-46) | 1 (0-10) | 24 (76, 58-87) | |
GCS median (IQR) | 9 (6) | 8 (9) | 10 (6) | 13 (0) | 9 (3) | |
Mechanical ventilation | 45 (17, 13-23) | 12 (26, 15-41) | 17 (16, 10-24) | 0 (0) | 16 (49, 32-65) | |
mRS (IQR) | 2 (2) | 3 (2) | 2 (2) | 1 (1) | 3 (1) | |
CSF results | ||||||
Median leucocyte count (×106 per L, IQR) | 81.5 (190.5) | 14 (55) | 75.5 (148) | 96 (194) | 1218.5 (5946) | < 0.0001 |
Proportion lymphocytes of white blood cells (%, IQR) | 92 (49.5) | 99 (7) | 94 (32) | 91.5 (25) | 10 (23) | < 0.0001 |
Median protein (g/L, IQR) | 0.78 (0.61) | 0.66 (0.54) | 0.79 (0.43) | 0.58 (0.41) | 3.36 (6.63) | < 0.0001 |
Median lactate (mmol/L, IQR) | 2.5 (1.09) | 2.2 (0.8) | 2.5 (0.75) | 2.3 (1) | 13 (11.9) | < 0.0001 |