Early recognition of encephalitis in acute settings
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Early recognition of encephalitis in acute settings

Kellie-Ann Mower Emergency paramedic practitioner, Newham University Hospital emergency department, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, England

Encephalitis is a life-threatening condition in which inflammation of the brain tissue occurs. Although it is relatively rare, misdiagnosis or delays in recognition and treatment can have devastating consequences for patients, and there is a high mortality rate. People who survive are often left with neuropsychological impairment. This article describes the pathophysiology of the condition, as well as clinical presentation and treatment, and explains why it can be easily missed. It includes a case study that describes a situation in which the condition was not considered initially as a differential diagnosis, and considers implications for practice

Emergency Nurse. 25, 1, 27-31. doi: 10.7748/en.2017.e1651

Correspondence

kelliecraig@hotmail.com

Peer review

All articles are subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 27 September 2016

Accepted: 25 January 2017

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