Characteristics of children admitted with bacterial meningitis and no anaemia or anaemia of different degrees
| Characteristic | All | No anaemia | Mild anaemia | Moderate anaemia | Severe anaemia | P value |
| Number | 2023 | 420 (21) | 207 (10) | 924 (46) | 472 (23) | |
| Area | <0.001 | |||||
| Luanda, Angola | 1085/2023 (53.6) | 49 (4.5) | 55 (5.6) | 559 (51.5) | 422 (38.9) | |
| Latin America | 597/2023 (29.5) | 132 (22.1) | 81 (13.6) | 335 (56.1) | 49 (8.2) | |
| Finland | 341/2023 (16.9) | 239 (70.1) | 71 (20.8) | 30 (8.8) | 1 (0.3) | |
| Female sex | 902/2023 (45) | 173/420 (41) | 98/207 (47) | 428/924 (46) | 203/472 (43) | 0.24 |
| Age, months | 16 (7–47) | 38 (19–80) | 16 (6–40) | 11 (6–36) | 13 (7–34) | <0.001 |
| Weight-for-age z-score | −0.75 (−1.82–0.17) | 0.05 (−0.91–0.69) | −0.37 (−1.24–0.31) | −0.89 (−1.90 to −0.01) | −1.36 (−2.47 to −0.40) | <0.001 |
| Ill before admission, days | 4 (2.1–7) | 2 (1–3) | 3 (1.6–5) | 4 (3–7) | 5 (3–7) | <0.001 |
| CSF leucocytes, /mm3 | 1350 (264–10000) | 2780 (1035–7120) | 1600 (458–3750) | 1080 (222–3555) | 850 (170–2800) | <0.001 |
| CSF glucose, mg/dL | 17.5 (7.3–40.9) | 30.6 (10.0–58.8) | 23.4 (10.0–47.3) | 15.7 (6.8–35.0) | 13.2 (6.1–32.1) | <0.001 |
| CSF protein, mg/dL | 170 (99–256) | 175 (92–281) | 168 (89–250) | 162 (100–249) | 192 (111–250) | 0.30 |
| Causative bacteria | 1535/2023 (76) | 355 (23) | 164 (11) | 667 (43) | 349 (23) | <0.001 |
| Haemophilus influenzae | 648/1535 (42) | 175 (27) | 72 (11) | 273 (42) | 128 (20) | |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | 492/1535 (32) | 58 (12) | 38 (8) | 233 (47) | 163 (33) | |
| Neisseria meningitidis | 264/1535 (17) | 106 (40) | 38 (15) | 101 (38) | 19 (7) | |
| Other bacteria | 131/1535 (9) | 16 (12) | 16 (12) | 60 (46) | 39 (30) | |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L, day 1 (–2) | 149 (76–161) | 130 (75–179) | 140 (58–190) | 147 (70–161) | 161 (96–161) | 0.034 |
| C-reactive protein, mg/L, day 4±1 | 61 (30–109) | 46 (26–84) | 46 (26–87) | 66 (30–116) | 92 (56–150) | <0.001 |
| Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, mm/h | 80 (50–110) | 70 (34–94) | 65 (45–85) | 70 (45–100) | 90 (60–119) | 0.001 |
| B-leucocytes×109 /L | 14.8 (9.2–20.7) | 15.7 (9.9–21.6) | 14.8 (9.2–20.7) | 14.6 (9.2–20.0) | 14.7 (8.3–20.8) | 0.28 |
| B-thrombocytes×109 /L | 260 (166–394) | 160 (102–218) | 250 (175–348) | 311 (200–445) | 229 (121–442) | <0.001 |
| B-glucose, mg/dL | 89 (71–113) | 99 (79–125) | 97 (76–124) | 89 (71–113) | 82 (65–105) | <0.001 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg | 100 (90–110) | 106 (95–118) | 100 (90–110) | 100 (90–110) | 100 (90–110) | <0.001 |
| Heart rate, /minute | 122 (110–140) | 120 (100–140) | 120 (104–140) | 124 (111–140) | 126 (112–142) | <0.001 |
| Respiratory rate, /minute | 40 (32–51) | 38 (30–48) | 40 (31–52) | 40 (32–50) | 40 (32–52) | 0.008 |
| Temperature, ºC | 38.0 (37.0–38.8) | 38.5 (37.5–39.3) | 38.0 (37.2–39.0) | 37.8 (37.0–38.5) | 37.7 (37.0–38.5) | <0.001 |
| Glasgow Coma Score | 12 (8–15) | 14 (12–15) | 13 (10–15) | 12 (9–15) | 11 (8–15) | <0.001 |
| Seizures before or at admission | 812/1987 (41) | 80/414 (19) | 54/201 (27) | 430/909 (47) | 248/463 (54) | <0.001 |
| Seizures at ward | 844/1662 (51) | 38/174 (22) | 48/134 (36) | 448/886 (51) | 310/468 (66) | <0.001 |
| Focal neurological signs | 341/1976 (17) | 33/409 (8) | 16/199 (8) | 168/904 (19) | 124/464 (27) | <0.001 |
| Other focus of infection | 757/1746 (43) | 80/336 (24) | 55/167 (33) | 365/793 (46) | 257/450 (57) | <0.001 |
| Dyspnoea | 581/1403 (41) | 26/222 (12) | 28/111 (25) | 272/642 (42) | 255/428 (60) | <0.001 |
| Length of hospital stay in days | 10 (9–13) | 9 (7–11) | 9 (8–12) | 10 (8–12) | 11 (9–16) | <0.001 |
| Death | 494/2023 (24) | 32/420 (8) | 26/207 (13) | 258/924 (28) | 178/472 (38) | <0.001 |
| Severe neurological sequelae | 144/1514 (10) | 5/385 (1) | 8/180 (4) | 92/658 (14) | 39/291 (13) | <0.001 |
| Deafness | 111/1314 (8) | 4/314 (1) | 9/150 (6) | 71/586 (12) | 27/264 (10) | <0.001 |
| Any neurological sequelae | 488/1503 (32) | 59/384 (15) | 49/180 (27) | 255/650 (39) | 125/289 (43) | <0.001 |
| Any hearing loss | 351/1089 (32) | 37/302 (12) | 32/138 (23) | 203/478 (42) | 79/171 (46) | <0.001 |
CSF, cerebrospinal fluid.