Comparison of presenting symptoms, PICU interventions and outcomes between the historic and recent cohorts with invasive meningococcal disease
| 1995–2000 | 2001–2011 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Symptom | n=407 | n=353 | p Value (two-tailed z test) |
| Fever | 97% (392) | 82% (289) | <0.01 |
| Rash | 87% (354) | 89% (310) | 0.72 |
| Vomiting | 63% (256) | 67% (233) | 0.37 |
| Lethargy | 36% (147) | 51% (178) | <0.01 |
| Irritability | 36% (147) | 42% (149) | 0.48 |
| Headache | 16% (65) | 14% (48) | 0.36 |
| Myalgia | 7% (28) | 5% (19) | 0.39 |
| Seizures | 7% (28) | 5% (18) | 0.3 |
| Intervention | n=254 | n=221 | |
| Ventilation | 30% (75) | 50% (111) | <0.001 |
| Inotropes | 22% (55) | 36% (79) | <0.001 |
| Peritoneal dialysis | 2% (6) | 3% (7) | 0.6 |
| Haemofiltration | 4% (9) | 9% (19) | <0.001 |
| Protein C | 11% (27) | 11% (24) | 0.9 |
| Outcome | n=407 | n=340 | |
| Death | 4.6% (19) | 3.9% (15)* | 0.6 |
| Any sequelae | 10.8% (44) | 9.4% (32) | 0.5 |
| Sensorineural hearing loss | 3.1% (13) | 0.9% (3) | 0.02 |
| Neurological | 4.4% (18) | 2.6% (9) | 0.09 |
| Amputation | 0.3% (1) | 1.7% (6) | 0.03 |
| Scars | 3.9% (16) | 5% (17) | 0.48 |
*Mortality data available for the entire cohort of 382 patients.
PICU, paediatric intensive care unit.