Initial Presenting as Acute Vertigo Syndrome in Sepsis Associated Encephalopathy: A Retrospective Case Series

Objective: To investigate whether sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE) is a cause of acute vertigo syndrome (AVS). Methods: From Jen 2014 to Des 2016 period, the clinical data in 7 patients who were from a hospital intensive care unit (ICU), because of misdiagnosed SAE whose complaint was vertigo or dizziness, was retrospectively analyzed. Results: Among 7 misdiagnosed SAE patients, 5 were male and 2 were female, with a median age of 60 years (range, 23-82 years). All patients presented with AVS at onset. Of them, transient or recurrent AVS occurred in 6 patients, and persistent AVS in 1case. 3 patients by brain angiography showed the ischemic lesions in the central vestibular partway, however, all of 7 cases with AVS presented a central vestibular impaired mechanism from septic shock or sepsis, supporting AVS was a central AVS. The patient 1 only presented isolated central AVS and with no others brain dysfunction, so met the diagnosis of mild SAE, and with a favorable prognosis. The other 6 cases developed from mild brain dysfunction (central AVS) to deep coma and multiple organ failure, met the diagnosis of severe SAE with multiple organ failure, and all of them died eventually. Conclusions: SAE might be a little-known cause of the central AVS. A recognition of this issue facilitate earlier identification and more timely treatment in patients with AVS with SAE. Received: October 13, 2017; Accepted: November 02, 2017; Published: November 06, 2017 *Corresponding author: Dao-Ming Tong, Department of Neurology, Affiliated Shuyang People′s Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Yingbin Road, Shucheng, Jiangsu 223600, China, Tel: 0527 8999 0120;fax: 0527 1358 7583;E-mail: tongdaoming@163.com Symbiosis www.symbiosisonline. org www.symbiosisonlinepublishing. com Symbiosis Group * Corresponding author email: tongdaoming@163.com Introduction Acute vertigo syndrome (AVS) is also called acute vestibular syndrome (AVS). The AVS caused by the central vestibular pathways lesion is known as central AVS. There are many reasons for central AVS. The most common causes are acute ischemic stroke [1,2], followed by spontaneous intra cerebral hemorrhage [1,3]. Perhaps, there are many other well-known reasons for the first symptom that commonly precipitate central AVS, such as migraineous vertigo [4], heart disease [5], acute drug poisoning or adverse reactions (including carbon monoxide, phenytoin, antihypertensive drugs and antitumor drugs) [6-9], vertigo epilepsy[10], and multiple sclerosis [11]. In addition, rare causes may include hypoglycemia, acute leukemia, brain tumors, Hunter’s bow syndrome, and potential malnutrition or anemia [12-16]. In some cases, even smoking and drinking may also cause this syndrome. However, there are few reports of sepsis associated encephalopathy (SAE) with AVS as the initial symptom. Here, we retrospectively reviewed a series of clinical data from 7 consecutive SAE patients with AVS as the initial symptom, so as to improve the clinical workers’ ability to recognize SAE early. Methods Study settings This study was a retrospective case study of all registered patients from an adult intensive care unit (ICU) in China. A total of 7 SAE patients who had acute vertigo or dizziness as an initial symptom were recruited from January 2014 and December 2016. The Ethical Committee on Clinical Research of the Shuyang People’s Hospital, China, approved the study. The study was in full compliance with the Helsinki declaration, and written informed consent was obtained from patients or their families. Patients and selection criteria We identified acute vertigo syndrome (H81.9) and central vertigo (H81.4) according to the master code of clinical revision (ICD-10-CM), Tenth Edition of the international classification of diseases of the WHO. We also treat sepsis and septic shock (A41.9) as the primary code for identifying sepsis events. Subjects included criteria: (1) patients with AVS who were the first symptom (over 18 years of age); (2) present evidence of a confirmed or suspected infection, and presence of sepsis or septic shock. Exclusion criteria: 1) less than 18 years old; 2) non septic or septic shock patients. All data were extracted from electronic medical records. The following data in patients with septic shock initial presenting as AVS were recorded, such as age, gender, onset to admission time, body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, the general characteristics of acute dizziness syndrome, GCS score, PaO2, creatinine, bilirubin, serum glucose, lactate levels, white blood count, platelet count, bacteriological findings, ECG, and brain CT scans. We also recorded the findings of CT, including Initial Presenting as Acute Vertigo Syndrome in Sepsis Associated Encephalopathy: A Retrospective Case Series Page 2 of 5 Citation: Ye T Zhou, Dao MTong (2017) Initial Presenting as Acute Vertigo Syndrome in Sepsis Associated Encephalopathy: A Retrospective Case Series. SOJ Neurol 4(1): 1-5. DOI: 10.15226/2374-6858/4/1/00133 Copyright: © 2017 Ye T Zhou, et al. the location and size of the lesion. The sequential organ failure score (SOFA) after AVS were recorded. We calculated the worst SOFA score during hospitalization. Finally, we recorded the number of days of ICU stay and hospitalization, and the prognosis after 30 days of follow-up. Survival and functional outcomes were assessed using a GOS score. Relation definitions The definition of sepsis has been updated by sepsis-3 in 2016 [17,18], which was defined as a life-threatening organ dysfunction due to a dysregulated host response to infection. Septic shock is a specific form of sepsis in which profound circulatory, cellular and metabolic abnormalities are associated with a greater risk of mortality than with sepsis alone. In the absence of other causes for hypotension, the septic shock can be diagnosed as the patient’s a systolic blood pressure reduction of 40mmHg from baseline, or the mean arterial pressure<70mmHg and need to use vasopressors maintain, while serum lactic acid level≥2mmol/L. We are using the following criteria for the diagnosis of SAE: (1) Eligible diagnostic criteria for Sepsis-3; (2) present evidence of diffuse or multifocal cerebral dysfunction (from mental or behavioral changes to severe lethargy or coma); (3) brain imaging (CT or MRI) reveal the cortical and subcortical white matter ischemic lesions or micro infarction, or no obvious abnormality. The exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) presence of meningitis/ encephalitis or other encephalopathy; (2) present evidence of non sepsis or non septic shock. Acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) is mainly characterized by acute vertigo or dizziness [19]. The AVS caused by impaired central vestibular pathways is called central AVS. The following criteria were used to diagnose central AVS: (1) sudden onset of vertigo or dizziness accompanied by head-motion intolerance, gait unsteadiness, nausea or vomiting, or nystagmus. (2) Patients with risk factors or pathogenesis of impaired central vestibular pathways; (3) present evidence of imaging or laboratory in central vestibular pathways lesion. In terms of symptomatology, central AVS is a manifestation of mental and neurological abnormity, i.e., mild brain dysfunction. Vertigo is described as a feeling of the rotation of oneself/space when human brain process un imbalance; severe cases may present with head-motion intolerance or abnormal balancing behavior, such as standing instability, even the whole itself rolled sharply to one side and fell to the floor. Dizziness is a top-heavy feeling, or also with a minor abnormal balancing behavior, including inclining and shaking. Dizziness or vertigo is usually transient (lasting seconds to minutes, generally <24 hours), but may occur in continuous repeated episodes, or persistent episodes, lasting more than a few days.