Neuroinfection survey at a neurological ward in a Brazilian tertiary teaching hospital

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study was undertaken to characterize the neuroinfection profile in a tertiary neurological ward.INTRODUCTION:Neuroinfection is a worldwide concern and bacterial meningitis, tetanus and cerebral malaria have been reported as the commonest causes in developing countries.METHODS:From 1999 to 2007, all patients admitted to the Neurology Ward of Hospital das Clínicas, S�o Paulo University School of Medicine because of neuroinfection had their medical records reviewed. Age, gender, immunological status, neurological syndrome at presentation, infectious agent and clinical outcome were recorded.RESULTS:Three hundred and seventy four cases of neuroinfectious diseases accounted for 4.2% of ward admissions and the identification of infectious agent was successful in 81% of cases. Mean age was 40.5±13.4 years, 63.8% were male, 19.7% were immunocompromised patients and meningoencephalitis was the most common clinical presentation despite infectious agent. Viruses and bacteria were equally responsible for 29.4% of neuroinfectious diseases; parasitic, fungal and prion infections accounted for 28%, 9.6% and 3.5% respectively. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1), Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Treponema pallidum, Taenia solium, Schistosoma mansoni, Cryptococcus neoformans and Histoplasma capsulatum were the more common infectious pathogens in the patients. Infection mortality rate was 14.2%, of which 62.3% occurred in immunocompetent patients.CONCLUSION:Our institution appeared to share some results with developed and developing countries. Comparison with literature may be considered as quality control to health assistance.

The changing microbiological and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of cerebrospinal fluid organism isolates in a teaching hospital, Tangerang, Indonesia

“…This result is much higher than several studies noted that the incidence of intracranial postneurosurgical infection have been ranged between 0.4% to 7.7% [4,5,6,7]. The profile of CSF isolates in this study showed that certain bacteria species were the predominant cause of CNS infection and was similar to other studies [1,2,8,10] . Coagulase negative Staphylococci was responsible for 39.4 of CSF positive culture, which was similar to a recent Iranian study [16].…”

“…CNS infections are life-threatening and significant causes of morbidity and mortality, especially in developing countries [1,2]. Bacterial infections have been known as the most common cause of the CNS infections, meanwhile fungi and mycobacteria are also frequently reported [3].…”

Molecular and genetic aspects of oncology and infectology in Clinics

“…(37) characterize the neuroinfection profiles in a tertiary neurological ward and find that the results are similar to those observed in developed and developing countries. They claim that comparisons with the literature may be considered health assistance quality control.…”

Neuroinfectious diseases at a European neurological tertiary care center: one‐third of patients require treatment in the neurological intensive care unit

“…It has to be kept in mind that an ambulatory medical infrastructure as instituted in our region allows the diagnosis and treatment of many minor, non-life-threatening NIDs such as neuroborreliosis, acute facial nerve palsy or viral meningitis without hospital admission of the patients. (7) S. aureus (5) others (2) Figure 1 Patients with the diagnosis of a neuroinfectious disease (NID) who were treated as inpatients at the Department of Neurology at the University of Munich. Of 376 patients who were admitted with NIDs, 131 (34.8%) needed to be treated at the neurological intensive care unit.…”