Objectives To assess the frequency of different types of diagnostic errors in patients with central nervous system (CNS) infection from the onset of symptoms to admission to the hospital, where the correct diagnosis was made. Methods A cross-sectional observational design was used, and the information was collected by interviewing patients and/or their knowledgeable relatives as well as reviewing the accompanying medical record documents and hospital records. Results Of 169 adult patients with CNS infection, 129 (76.33%) were subject to diagnostic errors. Failure in ordering tests and hypothesis generation were the most common types of diagnostic errors that accounted for more than 70% of errors. Several contributing factors that were associated with incorrect diagnostic hypotheses included failure in taking a patient's comprehensive history such as detecting relevant epidemiological clues, conducting a full clinical examination, and interpreting diagnostic evidence. The relationship between poor clinical outcome and longer delay from the onset of illness to diagnosis, inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy, and lower level of consciousness on admission were found to be statistically significant. Conclusions Although diagnosis and management of CNS infection in some patients are straightforward, clinical decision making in facing patients with complex scenarios often requires clinical reasoning instead of relying only on intuitive diagnosis. Justification in requesting diagnostic measures and interpretation of their results based on clinical findings and patient information could be a critical factor in preventing a substantial number of diagnostic errors in patients with CNS infection.
Unusual manifestations are possible for multi-system inflammatory syndrome brought on by SARS-Cov2 infection. Early diagnosis and effective treatment have a direct impact on the outcome. Every young patient who presents to the clinic with a fever, skin rash, stomach discomfort, or cardiovascular complications has to be evaluated for this potentially fatal disease. It is also of utmost importance to differentiate MIS-C from drug hypersensitivity (DHS). MIS-c highly resembles DHS but leads to more complications and a higher mortality rate. We report a 9-year-old female who initially presented with generalized abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and cough. She gradually developed an acute abdomen and was admitted for surgical management of a suspected perforated appendix. Her condition deteriorated despite surgery and medical treatment. Differentiating drug allergy from this new emerging syndrome can be difficult. Herein we discuss about it.
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