Table 2 Common signs and symptoms at presentation. The table shows the proportion of CMGs that each specific signs or symptoms was described in
Bacterial CNS infections | |||||
Neonates/infants (≤ 1 year) (n = 8 CMGs) | Children (< 16–18 years) (n = 10 CMGs) | Adults and unspecified age (n = 10 CMGs) | |||
Signs and symptoms | n (%) | Signs and symptoms | n (%) | Signs and symptoms | n (%) |
Irritability | 8 (100) | Neck stiffness | 10 (100) | Fever | 10 (100) |
Fever | 8 (100) | Headache | 9 (90) | Headache | 10 (100) |
Poor appetite/feeding | 8 (100) | Fever | 9 (90) | Neck stiffness | 10 (100) |
Bulging fontanelle | 6 (75) | Petechial rash/purpura | 8 (80) | AMS/ALOC | 6 (60) |
Petechial rash/purpura | 6 (75) | AMS | 7 (70) | Petechial rash/purpura | 5 (50) |
Lethargy | 6 (75) | Nausea/vomiting | 6 (60) | Focal neurological signs | 5 (50) |
Nausea/vomiting | 5 (63) | Photophobia | 6 (60) | Seizures | 4 (40) |
Neck stiffness | 5 (63) | Kernig’s sign | 5 (50) | Photophobia | 3 (30) |
Seizures | 4 (50) | Brudzinski’s sign | 5 (50) | Nausea/vomiting | 3 (30) |
Apnoea or respiratory distress | 4 (50) | Cold hands/feet | 4 (40) | ||
Hypothermia | 4 (50) | Abnormal skin colour | 4 (40) | ||
Confusion | 3 (38) | Focal neurological signs | 3 (30) | ||
Photophobia | 3 (38) | Poor appetite | 3 (30) | ||
Abnormal skin colour | 3 (38) | Leg pain | 2 (20) | ||
Kernig’s sign | 2 (25) | Lethargy | 2 (20) | ||
Brudzinski’s sign | 2 (25) | Irritability | 2 (20) | ||
Viral CNS infections | |||||
Children (n = 4 CMGs) | Adults and unspecified age (n = 10 CMGs) | ||||
Signs and symptoms | n (%) | Signs and symptoms | n (%) | ||
Seizures | 4 (100) | Seizures | 10 (100) | ||
Focal neurological signs | 4 (100) | Focal neurological signs | 10 (100) | ||
Fever | 4 (100) | Fever | 9 (90) | ||
ALOC | 4 (100) | ALOC | 9 (90) | ||
Changes in personality or behaviour | 4 (100) | Changes in personality or behaviour | 8 (80) | ||
Headache | 1 (25) | Rash | 5 (50) | ||
Headache | 4 (40) | ||||
Vomiting | 1 (10) | ||||
Memory changes | 1 (10) | ||||