Forschungsdatenbank PMU-SQQUID

PMU-Autor/inn/en

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Early recognition and treatment of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) has become an essential issue in clinical practice. However, little is known about patients with deteriorating conditions and the need for intensive care treatment. Here, we aimed to characterize underlying aetiologies, clinical symptoms, reasons for intensive care admission, and mortality of critically ill patients with AE.
We conducted a retrospective chart review of all patients with "definite" or "probable" diagnoses of AE treated at our neurological intensive care unit between 2002 and 2015. We collected and analyzed clinical, paraclinical, laboratory findings and assessed the mortality at last follow-up based on patient records.
Twenty-seven patients [median age 55 years (range 25-87), male = 16] were included. Thirteen (48%) had "definite" AE. The most common reasons for admission were status epilepticus (7/27, 26%) and delirium (4/27, 15%). One-year survival was 82%, all five deceased were male, and 3 (60%) of them had "probable" disease. The non-survivors (median follow-up 1 year) were more likely to have underlying cancer and higher need for respiratory support compared to the survivors (p < 0.041, and p = 0.004, respectively).
Clinical presentations and outcomes in critically ill patients with AE are diverse, and the most common leading cause for intensive care unit admission was status epilepticus. The association of comorbid malignancy and the need for mechanical ventilation with mortality deserves further attention.

Useful keywords (using NLM MeSH Indexing)

Adult

Aged

Aged, 80 and over

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System*/diagnosis

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System*/etiology

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System*/mortality

Autoimmune Diseases of the Nervous System*/therapy

Critical Illness*

Delirium*/diagnosis

Delirium*/etiology

Delirium*/mortality

Delirium*/therapy

Encephalitis*/diagnosis

Encephalitis*/etiology

Encephalitis*/mortality

Encephalitis*/therapy

Female

Humans

Intensive Care Units/statistics*

numerical data*

Male

Middle Aged

Retrospective Studies

Status Epilepticus*/diagnosis

Status Epilepticus*/etiology

Status Epilepticus*/mortality

Status Epilepticus*/therapy

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