Urgent Cares of Patients Suspicious for Central Nervous System Infection

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 1- Associate professor of Infectious Disease, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

2 2- Resident of Infectious Disease, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

3 3- Assistant professor of Statistics, Ferdowsy University of , Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

Introduction
Regarding the severity of central nervous system infections and their considerable mortality and morbidity, it seemed necessary to re-assess the accuracy of the management of patients with CNS infection, whether the requested action and the prescribed drugs, as if they were timely and correctly sequenced.
Materials and Methods
In this prospective study, patients with suspected central nervous system infection admitted to Imam Reza Hospital, from October 2011 until October 2012, went to the regular and systematic review. Sample size calculations were based on an estimated 108 people, and the information required was completed on the designed questionnaire. Finally, the results were analyzed statistically.
Results
Data analysis in this study showed that the average time from admission to the initial visit by a physician was about 9 minutes, and requesting an infectious diseases specialist visit took on average 55 minutes. It took 154 minutes to actual specialist visit and 15.6 hours up to perform lumbar puncture (LP). The average time between performing LP and obtaining the results of CSF analysis was 5.5 hours.
Conclusion
The data indicated that the average length of time in this study was longer than the other studies, thus it implied either empirical antibiotic therapy should be started immediately for all patients with suspected CNS infection before any diagnostic approach, which does not seem much logical and scientific, or should it be based on a protocol agreement accepted by both the Departments of Emergency Medicine and Infectious Diseases.

Keywords

medical journal of mashhad university of medical sciences
Volume 56, Issue 4 - Serial Number 4
September and October 2013
Pages 193-203

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