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Neurologic Emergencies pp 251–270Cite as

Infections of the Central Nervous System

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Abstract

An 80-year-old man presents to the ED via ambulance from a local nursing home with confused speech (episodic/waxing and waning), fever, and chills for 1 day. Per nursing home report, he had been feeling unwell for the last 2 days. Paperwork reveals he has had a nonproductive cough and sore throat, and several other residents at the facility had been ill with similar symptoms. He reports a frontal headache which is more painful than his associated myalgias and was given Tylenol. There is no report of a fall or trauma. His baseline mental status is alert and oriented with the ability to converse and perform many activities of daily living. He is unable to manage his finances and medications. His baseline heart rate is 70–90s; his blood pressure range is in the 120–130s/60–90s. He has lived at the nursing home for the past year since diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. He previously lived alone and his wife died 2 years ago. There is no family in the region. On arrival to the ED, his initial vital signs are T 103 F, BP 94/49, R 24, HR 108, and O2 sats 94% on room air with a GCS 13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 464 Congress Avenue STE 260, New Haven, CT, 06519, USA

    Ogonna Felton M.D. & Charles R. Wira III M.D.

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  1. Ogonna Felton M.D.
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  2. Charles R. Wira III M.D.
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Correspondence to Charles R. Wira III M.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Orlando, Florida, USA

    Latha Ganti

  2. Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Joshua N. Goldstein

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Felton, O., Wira, C.R. (2018). Infections of the Central Nervous System. In: Ganti, L., Goldstein, J. (eds) Neurologic Emergencies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64523-0_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-64523-0_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-64521-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-64523-0

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