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CONDITION/DISORDER SYNONYMS
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PREFERRED PRACTICE PATTERNS
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5A: Primary Prevention/Risk Reduction for Loss of Balance and Falling1
5C: Impaired Motor Function and Sensory Integrity Associated with Nonprogressive Disorders of the Central Nervous System—congenital origin or acquired in infancy or childhood2
5D: Impaired Motor Function and Sensory Integrity Associated with Nonprogressive Disorders of the Central Nervous System—acquired in adolescence or adulthood3
5I: Impaired Arousal, Range of Motion and Motor Control Associated with Coma, Near Coma, or Vegetative State4
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PATIENT PRESENTATION
Three weeks after a regimen of cyclosporine to treat his psoriasis, a 42-year-old man developed a fever, headache, and nausea that were unresponsive to medication or position change. Within a few days he struggled with balance and gait ataxia and became progressively more disoriented. By the end of the week he was comatose, with Glasgow Coma Scale score of 5. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals mediotemporal lobe necrosis. The patient is placed on intravenous acyclovir.
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Infection of the brain parenchyma
Most commonly results in infection of the entire brain, but some viruses attack specific nervous system structures
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Essentials of Diagnosis
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May occur with meningitis; some overlap of signs and symptoms
Two primary forms: Viral and bacterial
Postinfectious encephalitis: Autoimmune reaction to systemic viral infection
Causative factor must be identified to initiate appropriate medical treatment prior to physical therapy involvement
Common forms include
Herpes simplex encephalitis (most common cause of sporadic encephalitis in adults)
Arboviral encephalitis (most common epidemic forms): West Nile virus, Eastern and Western equine encephalitis, and rabies
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General Considerations
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Rapid differential diagnosis of encephalitis versus meningitis should be made due to similarities of initial symptoms and response to medication.
Severity may progress over a period of 1 week; PT should monitor for changing neurologic signs and symptoms, refer accordingly.
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Approximately 20,000 cases of acute viral encephalitis are reported annually in the United States.
Death occurs in 5% to 20%.
All ages and genders are susceptible; some forms are more common in specific geographic locations.
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