Table 1 General and clinical characteristics of the patients studied

Female, n (%)

118 (39.7%)

52 (46.4%)

0.220^a

Age (month), Median (IQR)

1.6 (0.8-12.7)

2.4 (1.0-28.7)

0.043^b

  <  6 months

195 (65.7%)

64 (57.1%)

0.085^a

 6- < 24 months

50 (16.8%)

16 (14.3%)

 24 - < 72 months

27 (9.1%)

19 (17.0%)

  > = 72 months

25 (8.4%)

13 (11.6%)

 Other focus no CNS of infectious diseases

76 (25.6%)

11 (9.8%)

< 0.001^c

 Fever without focus or prolonged

89 (29.9%)

22 (19.6%)

0.018^c

 Seizures and epilepsy

54 (18.2%)

25 (22.3%)

0.168 ^c

 Ataxia and rhomboencephalitis

1 (0.34%)

6 (5.4%)

< 0.001^c

 CNS infectious

41 (13.8%)

34 (30.4%)

< 0.001^c

 Others

36 (12.1%)

14 (12.5%)

0.456 ^c

Pleocitosis (≥10 white cells in CSF), n (%)

85 (30.3%)^d

52 (47.7%)^d

0.001ª

Hospitalization requirement, n (%)

254 (85.5%)

104 (92.7%)

0.045ª

Hospitalization days, Median (IQR)

4 (2-6)

4 (2-7)

0.485^b

ICU requirement, n (%)

44 (14.8%)

32 (28.6%)

< 0.001ª

ICU days, Median (IQR)

3.5 (2-7.5)

2 (1-4)

0.043^b

Use of ATB on admission, n (%)

187 (63.4%)^d

68 (61.3%)^d

0.692^a

Use of ATV on admission, n (%)

30 (10.1%)

28 (25.0%)

< 0.001^a

TAC performed, n (%)

64 (21.5%)

38 (33.9%)

0.010^a

RNM performed, n (%)

33 (11.1%)

21 (18.7%)

0.042^a

EEG performed, n (%)

74 (24.9%)

44 (39.3%)

0.004^a