Table 1 Baseline characteristics, laboratory data, in-hospital measures and outcome parameters for all patients with community-acquired bacterial meningitis developing increased cerebral blood flow velocity.

Gender (♀)^b

23 (76.7%)

33 (42.3%)

0.001

Prior medical history—admission status—in hospital measures

Premorbid mRS^a

0 (0–1)

0 (0–1)

0.278

Alcohol abuse^b

9 (30.0%)

6 (7.7%)

0.003

Neurologic deficit^b

13 (43.3%)

17 (21.8%)

0.025

Glasgow Coma Scale^a

12 (9–14)

14 (11–15)

0.005

Length of ventilation (LOV) (h)^a

167 (45–510)

0 (0–206)

0.001

Dexamethasone on admission^b

26 (86.7%)

54 (69.2%)

0.064

Stay on Neurointensive Care Unit^b

30 (100.0%)

63 (80.8%)

0.010

Osmotherapy^b

13 (43.3%)

6 (7.7%)

 < 0.001

Nimodipine therapy^b

23 (76.7%)

3 (3.9%)

 < 0.001

Need of Catecholamines^b

22 (73.3%)

31 (39.7%)

0.002

Temperature on admission (°C)

38.3 (37.5–39.2)

38.8 (38.1–39.4)

0.064

Sepsis^b

17 (56.7%)

30 (38.5%)

0.087

Laboratory values on admission

First spinal tap

Leucocytes (× 10⁶/L)^a

2328 (187–5788)

1020 (216–5104)

0.661

Erythrocytes (× 10⁶/L)^a

234 (5–555)

27 (1–160)

0.032

Proteine (g/L) ^a

2.910 (1.491–4.287)

1.501 (0.629–3.038)

0.009

Glucose (mmol/L)^a

1.28 (0–3.61)

2.28 (0.22–3.44)

0.676

Lactate (mmol/L)^a

9.8 (5.2–16.9)

7.1 (3.5–13.8)

0.178

Causative pathogen identified by blood^b

17 (56.7%)

31 (39.7%)

0.113

Causative pathogen identified by CSF^b

28 (93.3%)

51 (65.4%)

0.003

Causative pathogen identified by CSF via PCR^b

14 (46.7%)

28 (35.9%)

0.304

No causative pathogen identified^b

1 (3.3%)

17 (21.8%)

0.021

Most frequent causative pathogen

S. pneumoniae^b

21 (70.0%)

21 (26.9%)

 < 0.001

Serum

Neutrophil–Lymphocyte-Ratio^a

24.0 (20.4–30.2)

13.5 (8.4–19.5)

 < 0.001

Thrombocytes (10⁹/L)^c

172.7 ± 62

208.0 ± 98

0.078

Granulocytes (10⁹/L)^a

15.6 (13.7–20.8)

12.1 (8.1–15.4)

0.017

Lymphocytes (10⁹/L)^a

0.7 (0.6–1.0)

0.9 (0.8–1.3)

0.024

Radiological data

First CT on admission

Abscess^b

1 (3.3%)

2 (2.6%)

0.627

Ischemia^b

2 (6.7%)

2 (2.6%)

0.308

Obstructive hydrocephalus^b

4 (13.3%)

1 (1.3%)

0.020

CT within hospital stay- follow up (57/108 patients received a second cerebral imaging)

Abscess^b

3/27 (11.1%)

3/30 (10.0%)

0.613

Ischemia^b

9/27 (33.3%)

3/30 (10.0%)

0.031

Obstructive hydrocephalus^b

3/27 (11.1%)

1/30 (3.3%)

0.266

Discharge status

Symptomatic epilepsy^b

6 (20.0%)

3 (3.8%)

0.013

Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS)

3 (3–4)

4 (3–5)

0.028

LOV^b

167 (45–510)

0 (0–206)

0.001

Length of stay (d)^a

22 (18–26)

15 (9–20)

 < 0.001

mRS at discharge ^a

4 (2–5)

1 (1–4)

0.020

mRS at 3 months ^a

2 (2–4)

2 (1–3)

0.166

mRS at 12 months ^a

2 (1–4)

1 (0–3)

0.238