Analysis of clinical information and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for early diagnosis of XXXX .

@entity1 @entity4008 @entity693 @entity281 @entity1393
PURPOSE: @entity693 is among the most common @entity281 affecting the central nervous system. It can be difficult to determine the exact pathogen responsible for the @entity281 and @entity1 are often treated with empiric antibiotics. This study was conducted to identify the most common clinical characteristics of @entity693 in @entity1 and evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for early detection of an enterovirus. METHODS: We analyzed the medical records of @entity1 admitted to Korea University Medical Center and diagnosed with @entity693 on the basis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and RT-PCR from CSF and other samples from January 2010 to August 2013. RESULTS: A total of 333 @entity1 were enrolled and classified into four groups based on diagnosis: @entity693 (n=110), @entity4008 (n=23), other @entity1393 (n=36), and unknown etiology (n=164). @entity1 with @entity4008 were younger than those in the other groups (P<0.001). Pleocytosis in CSF was similar across all groups. Of @entity1 in the @entity693 group, 92.7% were diagnosed based on RT-PCR findings. Mean length of hospital stay for @entity1 with @entity693 was 6.08 days, which was significantly shorter than that for @entity1 with @entity693 of bacterial etiology (19.73 days, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of @entity693 before viral culture results are available is possible using RT-PCR. Accurate diagnosis reduces the length of hospital stay and helps to avoid unnecessary empiric antibiotic treatment.
