Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India
<b>Background</b> : Acute onset fever with altered mentation is a common problem encountered by the physician practicing in tropical countries. Central nervous system (CNS) infections are the most common cause resulting in fever with altered mentation in children. <b>Aim</b>...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2010-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2010;volume=3;issue=3;spage=220;epage=224;aulast=Bhalla |
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| author | Bhalla Ashish Suri Vika Varma Subhash Sharma Navneet Mahi Sushil Singh Paramjeet Khandelwal Niranjan |
| author_facet | Bhalla Ashish Suri Vika Varma Subhash Sharma Navneet Mahi Sushil Singh Paramjeet Khandelwal Niranjan |
| author_sort | Bhalla Ashish |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <b>Background</b> : Acute onset fever with altered mentation is a common problem encountered by the physician practicing in tropical countries. Central nervous system (CNS) infections are the most common cause resulting in fever with altered mentation in children. <b>Aim</b> : In this study, we have tried to analyze the cause of encephalopathy following short febrile illness in adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Northwestern part of India. <b>Setting and Design</b> : A prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care center in the Northwestern India over a period of 1 year. <b>Material and Methods</b> : A total of 127 patients with fever of less than 2 weeks duration along with alteration in mentation were studied prospectively over a period of 12 months. The demographic variables were recorded in detail. In addition to routine investigations, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, noncontrast- and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, along with magnetic resonance imaging were performed in all the subjects. <b>Statistical</b> <b>Analysis</b> : The results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The values were expressed as mean with standard deviation for contiguous variable as percentage for the others. <b>Results and Conclusion</b> : Out of these, 70% had primary CNS infection as the etiology. A total of 33% patients had meningitis, 29.9% had evidence of meningoencephalitis, and 12.7% were diagnosed as sepsis-associated encephalopathy. These were followed by cerebral malaria, leptospirosis, and brain abscess as the cause of febrile encephalopathy in adults. Among the noninfectious causes, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cortical venous thrombosis, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome were documented in 2.36% each. In 11% of the patients, the final diagnosis could not be made in spite of the extensive investigations. Our study demonstrates that acute febrile encephalopathy in adults is a heterogeneous syndrome with primary CNS infections being the commonest etiology. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:33:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cc0862e038874fe496d61f39cea58f11 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0974-2700 0974-519X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T21:33:04Z |
| publishDate | 2010-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock |
| spelling | doaj.art-cc0862e038874fe496d61f39cea58f112022-12-21T17:30:23ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsJournal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock0974-27000974-519X2010-01-0133220224Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest IndiaBhalla AshishSuri VikaVarma SubhashSharma NavneetMahi SushilSingh ParamjeetKhandelwal Niranjan<b>Background</b> : Acute onset fever with altered mentation is a common problem encountered by the physician practicing in tropical countries. Central nervous system (CNS) infections are the most common cause resulting in fever with altered mentation in children. <b>Aim</b> : In this study, we have tried to analyze the cause of encephalopathy following short febrile illness in adults presenting to a tertiary care center in Northwestern part of India. <b>Setting and Design</b> : A prospective observational study carried out in a tertiary care center in the Northwestern India over a period of 1 year. <b>Material and Methods</b> : A total of 127 patients with fever of less than 2 weeks duration along with alteration in mentation were studied prospectively over a period of 12 months. The demographic variables were recorded in detail. In addition to routine investigations, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, noncontrast- and contrast-enhanced computed tomography, along with magnetic resonance imaging were performed in all the subjects. <b>Statistical</b> <b>Analysis</b> : The results were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. The values were expressed as mean with standard deviation for contiguous variable as percentage for the others. <b>Results and Conclusion</b> : Out of these, 70% had primary CNS infection as the etiology. A total of 33% patients had meningitis, 29.9% had evidence of meningoencephalitis, and 12.7% were diagnosed as sepsis-associated encephalopathy. These were followed by cerebral malaria, leptospirosis, and brain abscess as the cause of febrile encephalopathy in adults. Among the noninfectious causes, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, cortical venous thrombosis, and neuroleptic malignant syndrome were documented in 2.36% each. In 11% of the patients, the final diagnosis could not be made in spite of the extensive investigations. Our study demonstrates that acute febrile encephalopathy in adults is a heterogeneous syndrome with primary CNS infections being the commonest etiology.http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2010;volume=3;issue=3;spage=220;epage=224;aulast=BhallaAltered mentationencephalopathyfevermeningoencephalitistropics |
| spellingShingle | Bhalla Ashish Suri Vika Varma Subhash Sharma Navneet Mahi Sushil Singh Paramjeet Khandelwal Niranjan Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India Journal of Emergencies, Trauma and Shock Altered mentation encephalopathy fever meningoencephalitis tropics |
| title | Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India |
| title_full | Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India |
| title_fullStr | Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India |
| title_short | Acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from Northwest India |
| title_sort | acute febrile encephalopathy in adults from northwest india |
| topic | Altered mentation encephalopathy fever meningoencephalitis tropics |
| url | http://www.onlinejets.org/article.asp?issn=0974-2700;year=2010;volume=3;issue=3;spage=220;epage=224;aulast=Bhalla |
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