L. Katie McKenna

VIRAL ENCEPHALITIS

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain

WHAT IS IT?

• Mosquito borne viruses (arboviruses)

• Togaviridae Flaviviridae, and Bunyaviridae• Herpes Simplex Virus

• Herpes Zoster

• Epstein Barr Virus

• Poliovirus

• Rhabdovirus

• Chicken Pox, Mumps, Measles

VIRUSES

(Robinson, 2011)

• Headache

• Fever

• Lethargy

• Nausea and vomiting

• Visual disturbances

• Tremor

• Decreased consciousness

• Confusion or agitation

• Personality changes

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

(Robinson, 2011)

Eastern Equine La Crosse

THOSE AT RISK

(CDC, 2011)

• 19 year old male Marine recruit

• Fever, change in personality, confusion, agitation, decreased consciousness

PATIENT CASE

• MRI

• Lumbar Puncture

• Blood tests

• EEG

• Brain Biopsy

DIAGNOSING

(Stone,2007)(Cataletto,2011)

Initial treatment

Antivirals

Antimicrobials

Anticonvulsants

Corticosteroids

What’s the cause?

• Acyclovir

• Ceftriaxone

• Azithromycin

• Doxycycline

• Dexamethasone

• Acetaminophen

Treatment according Pat ient ’s treatment

TREATMENT

(Robinson,2011)

• Japanese Encephalitis: Case-fatality: 30% - High rate of neurological deficits

• St. Louis Encephalitis: Case-fatality: 5 -30% - More common in elderly

PROGNOSIS

(CDC,2011) (Robinson, 2011)

Risk for disuse syndrome r/t impaired physical mobility (AEB) Patient not being able to reposition himself

NURSING DIAGNOSIS

Use bug spray!

CONCLUSION

• Know the signs

• Risk for seizures

• Risk for respiratory failure

• Vaccinations

THE REAL CONCLUSION

Cataletto, M. (2011).Nursing Central. Nursing Central from Unbound Medicine.

CDC - Reported Arbovirus Cases in U.S. - CDC Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases

(DVBID). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Robinson, R. "Encephalitis." The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. 4th ed. Vol. 2. Detroit:

Gale, 2011. 1532-1534. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Stone, M. J., & Hawkins, C. P.

(2007). A medical overview of encephalitis. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 17(4/5),

429-449.

Sokol, D.,Kleiman M.,Garg,B.(2001) LaCrosse viral encephalitis mimics herpes simplex

viral encephalitis, Pediatric Neurology, 25(5), 413-415.

REFERENCES