ArticleeNeurologicalSci2025
The Neuroinfectious diseases profile in a specialist neurology centre in South Africa.
Article in eNeurologicalSci, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
The trial behind it
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to assess the burden of neuroinfectious diseases and describe the causes and presentation of neurological infections to a tertiary level hospital neurology service in South Africa. Methods: A retrospective electronic search of medical discharge records was conducted for adult patients admitted to the neurology ward over a two-year period, and patients with neuroinfectious diseases were identified. Diagnostic criteria were applied to classify patients according to the certainty of their neuroinfectious disease diagnosis. Results: Neuroinfectious diseases accounted for 15 % of the 802 admissions to the neurology ward. The most common infectious aetiologies were tuberculosis (27 %), syphilis (21 %), neurological diseases related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) itself (19 %), and HIV-associated opportunistic infections (10 %). Diagnostic challenges were observed, with only 17 % of cases having a definite diagnosis. The majority of patients with neuroinfectious diseases were young, with a median age of 38 years (IQR: 32-46), and 56 % were HIV-positive. Morbidity was high, with prolonged hospitalisation (>2 weeks) and limited full recovery at discharge in 56 % and 98 % of patients, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides important insights into the burden and characteristics of neuroinfectious diseases encountered at an inpatient South African neurology service. The findings highlight the need for increased investment in primary care prevention and treatment of HIV, TB and syphilis - before patients require hospital admission or develop neurological pathology.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.