title: Prognostic indicators in bacterial meningitis: a case-control study.
abstract: This was a case-control study to identify prognostic indicators of bacterial meningitis in a reference hospital in Pernambuco/Brazil. The data were collected from charts of 294 patients with bacterial meningitis between January 2000 and December 2004. Variables were grouped in biological, clinical, laboratory and etiologic agent/treatment. Variables selected in each step were grouped and adjusted for age. Two models were created: one containing clinical variables (clinical model) and other containing laboratory variables (laboratory model). In the clinical model the variables associated with death due to bacterial meningitis were dyspnea (p=0.006), evidence of shock (p=0.051), evidence of altered mental state (p=0.000), absence of headache (p=0.008), absence of vomiting (p=0.052), and age ≥40 years old (p=0.013). In the laboratory model, the variables associated with death due to bacterial meningitis were positive blood cultures (p=0.073) and thrombocytopenia (p=0.019). Identification of prognostic indicators soon after admission may allow early specific measures, like admission of patients with higher risk of death to Intensive Care Units.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Universitário Oswaldo Cruz, Universidade de Pernambuco (UPE), Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Fátima Magalhães Acioly Mendizabal
authors.forename: Phelipe Cunha
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Diego Lins
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Guedes
authors.forename: Diogo Buarque Cordeiro
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.forename: Demócrito
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: de Barros Miranda-Filho
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bacterial meningitis; Case–control study; Prognostic indicators