Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39961946›Full record

ArticleJournal of epidemiology and global health2025

Epidemiological Characteristics and Disease Burden of Tuberculous Meningitis in Hospitalized Children in China: A Nationwide Retrospective Study.

Xiao Peng, Xinyu Wang, Yuanyuan Liu, Hui Yang, Haiming Yang, Guoshuang Feng, Yongli Guo, Huimin Li, Jie Lu

Abstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of epidemiology and global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Unmasking the cognitive burden of adult tuberculous meningitis: A systematic review and meta analysis.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Xiao Peng *Beijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China.
Xinyu Wang *Big Data Center, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100046, People's Republic of China.
Yuanyuan Liu *Beijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China.
Hui YangBeijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China.
Haiming YangCenter of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China.
Guoshuang FengBig Data Center, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100046, People's Republic of China.
Yongli GuoBeijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China. guoyongli@bch.com.cn.
Huimin LiCenter of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China. lihuimindoc@163.com.
Jie LuBeijing Key Laboratory for Pediatric Diseases of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, 100045, People's Republic of China. lujiebch@163.com.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFC2307301Natural Science Foundation of Beijing Municipality 7232060
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo investigate the epidemiological profile and cost burden of pediatric inpatients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in China.

methodsWe conducted a descriptive multicenter study involving pediatric TBM inpatients from 9 provincial hospitals and 20 municipal hospitals across 24 provinces in China from January 2016 to December 2021. Sociodemographic and geographic variables, admission and discharge information were extracted from face sheets of discharge medical records to describe the epidemiological characteristics. Length of hospital stay (LOS) and hospitalization expenses were used to assess disease burden.

resultsTBM accounted for 0.01% (971/7,647,598) of total hospitalization cases and 15.82% (971/6,138) of TB cases. The proportion of TBM children aged 1-3 (39.13%, 380/971) years were the highest. TBM children aged < 1 year had longest LOS (12d) and highest total costs ($2447.55). Minority patients had a higher proportion of TBM hospitalizations (24.09% vs 13.79%), longer LOS (11d) and higher diagnostic costs ($745.95 vs $628.47) than Han people. The northwest region had the highest rate of TBM hospitalization (n = 272, 28.01%) and the longest LOS (8d). TBM + PTB group exhibited the highest rate of outpatient admission (78.51%,263/335), shortest LOS (5d) and lowest total cost ($1729.75) and diagnostic cost ($827.30). The most prevalent concomitant TB infection site was the lung (n = 494, 50.82%). TBM + PTB + other EPTB group had the longest LOS (14d) and highest total cost ($3380.54).

conclusionPediatric TBM poses substantial disease burden in China, especially in western regions and children under six years old. Early diagnosis and treatment for children with TBM should be suggested.

Indexed as

Cost of IllnessHospitalizationTuberculosis, MeningealAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolChinaFemaleHumansInfantLength of StayMaleRetrospective StudiesChildrenChinaEpidemiologyTuberculosisTuberculous meningitis

Identifiers

PMID39961946
PMCPMC11832963

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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.