ArticleClinical medicine (London, England)2009
Management of suspected herpes simplex virus encephalitis in adults in a U.K. teaching hospital.
Article in Clinical medicine (London, England), 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 53 citations in OpenAlex.
- Diagnosis and Management of Infectious Encephalitis in Adults: Guidelines From the European Academy of Neurology and European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases.European journal of neurology · 2026Guideline
- A pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial of a tailored intervention to improve the initial management of suspected encephalitis.PloS one · 2018Trial
- Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: Lack of Clinical Benefit of Long-term Valacyclovir Therapy.Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America · 2015Trial
- The evaluation of a tailored intervention to improve the management of suspected viral encephalitis: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.Implementation science : IS · 2015Trial
- Unraveling Herpes Simplex Virus Encephalitis: Diagnosis and Management.Annals of African medicine · 2026Article
- Health economic impact of early versus delayed treatment of herpes simplex virus encephalitis in the UK.BMJ open · 2025Observational
- Kappa Free Light Chain Index and Oligoclonal Bands in Varicella Zoster Virus Infection and Neuroborreliosis: A Matter of Timing?European journal of neurology · 2025Article
- Article
- Case Report: Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) meningo-encephalitis associated with traumatic brain injury - a case report from Lao PDR.Wellcome open research · 2024Article
- Predicting Inpatient Mortality Among Encephalitis Patients: A Novel Admission Risk Score.Open forum infectious diseases · 2020Article
- A 9-month retrospective evaluation of the aetiology and management of patients presenting with encephalitis/meningoencephalitis at a South London hospital.Epidemiology and infection · 2020Article
- Bacteroides fragilis polysaccharide A induces IL-10 secreting B and T cells that prevent viral encephalitis.Nature communications · 2019Article
- Acute encephalitis - diagnosis and management.Clinical medicine (London, England) · 2018Review
- Herpes Simplex Encephalitis: an Update.Current infectious disease reports · 2017Review
- Diagnostic Pathways as Social and Participatory Practices: The Case of Herpes Simplex Encephalitis.PloS one · 2016Article
- Managing acute central nervous system infections in the UK adult intensive care unit in the wake of UK encephalitis guidelines.Journal of the Intensive Care Society · 2015Article
- An integrated model of care for neurological infections: the first six years of referrals to a specialist service at a university teaching hospital in Northwest England.BMC infectious diseases · 2015Article
- The development of an intervention to promote adherence to national guidelines for suspected viral encephalitis.Implementation science : IS · 2015Article
- Development of ClickClinica: a novel smartphone application to generate real-time global disease surveillance and clinical practice data.BMC medical informatics and decision making · 2013Article
- Pitfalls in the management of herpes simplex virus encephalitis.BMJ case reports · 2012Article
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The outcome of herpes simplex virus (HSV) encephalitis is improved with prompt initiation of aciclovir treatment. Delays are common, but there is little understanding of why they occur. The case notes of 21 adults admitted with suspected HSV encephalitis over one year were reviewed. The median (range) duration of illness was 2.5 (1-99) days. Seventeen (81%) patients had a lumbar puncture (LP) performed, at a median (range) time of 24 (2-114) hours after encephalitis was suspected. Lumbar puncture was delayed for a computed tomography (CT) scan in 15 patients, but only one of these had contraindications to an immediate LP. The median (range) time from presentation to starting aciclovir was 48 (2-432) hours. HSV-PCR (polymerase chain reaction) was requested on cerebrospinal fluid from 12 patients, one of whom was positive. Five (24%) patients were given the wrong dose of aciclovir. Overall the management of suspected HSV encephalitis was often sub-optimal, with delays in LP occurring due to unnecessary CT scans, and the wrong aciclovir dose administered. Guidelines for the management of suspected encephalitis are needed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.