title: Cerebrospinal fluid ferritin and albumin index: potential candidates for scoring system to differentiate between bacterial and viral meningitis in children.
abstract: To evaluate the diagnostic role of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ferritin and albumin index (AI = CSF albumin/serum albumin × 1000) in differentiating acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) from acute viral meningitis (AVM) in children.
  
  
  
  The study included 42 cases each of ABM and AVM in pediatric age group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was carried out for CSF ferritin and AI. Binary logistic regression was also done.
  
  
  
  CSF ferritin and AI were found significantly higher in ABM compared to AVM. Model obtained using AI and CSF ferritin along with conventional criteria is better than existing models.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry , India .
authors.forename: Angelin A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Jebamalar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry , India .
authors.lastname: Prabhat
authors.affiliation: b School of Chemical and Biotechnology, SASTRA University , Thanjavur , India , and.
authors.forename: Agiesh K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Balakrishnapillai
authors.affiliation: c Department of Paediatrics , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry , India.
authors.forename: Narayanan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Parmeswaran
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry , India .
authors.forename: Pooja
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhiman
authors.affiliation: a Department of Biochemistry , Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research , Puducherry , India .
authors.forename: Soundravally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rajendiran
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000418:Albumins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid*; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008587:Meningitis, Viral / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012372:ROC Curve; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D012709:Serum Albumin; D005293:Ferritins
keywords: Albumin index; bacterial meningitis; diagnostic model; ferritin; viral meningitis