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KMID : 0377220080330040031
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Medical Journal of Chosun Univercity
2008 Volume.33 No. 4 p.31 ~ p.36
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Laboratory Predictors of Meningitis in Scrub Typhus
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Kim Dong-Min
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Abstract
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Background: Scrub typhus is a febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi. We experienced cases of scrub typhus accompanying meningitis, one of the rare but life-threatening complications, and attempted to find out laboratory predictors of the meningitis.
Methods: One hundred and fifty patients who were diagnosed with scrub typhus at Chosun University Hospital between 2004 and 2006 were included in this study. We performed CSF analysis on scrub typhus patients with altered mentation and severe headache, and divided the patients into the meningitis and non-meningitis groups.
Results: Altered mentation (58.3%) and nuchal rigidity (61.5%) occurred more frequently in the meningitis group than in the non-meningitis group (p< 0.01). Albumin concentration was lower in the meningitis group (3.24 g/dL ± 0.45) than in the non-meningitis group (3.6 g/dL ± 0.6) (p= 0.029). No other significant laboratory findings were not found.
Conclusions: These results suggest that serum albumin level in scrub typhus patients with nuchal rigidity and altered mentation may be a simple and useful predictor of meningitis
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KEYWORD
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Scrub typhus, Meningitis, Predictor, Serum albumin level
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