Brief Communication - Dengue viral infections as a cause of encephalopathy

The aim of this study was to determine the clinical characteristics and poor prognostic factors associated with high mortality in dengue encephalopathy. Fifteen patients with confirmed dengue infections, who developed encephalopathy, were recruited from two tertiary care hospitals in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Among the factors that contributed to encephalopathy were: Acute liver failure (73%), electrolyte imbalances (80%) and shock (40%). Five (33.3%) patients developed seizures. Disseminated intravascular coagulation was seen in five (33.3%). Secondary bacterial infections were observed in 8 (53.3%) of our patients. The overall mortality rate was 47%.