Epidemiology, Outcomes and Predictors of Recovery in Childhood Encephalitis A Hospital-based Study

Background: Pediatric encephalitis is a devastating diagnosis with little guidance regarding prognostic indicators early in the hospitalization. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of patients with encephalitis referred to the California Encephalitis Project from Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland from 1998 to 2010. Demographic, clinical, laboratory and neuroimaging data were collected by California Encephalitis Project and chart review. Outcomes were classified into recovery or incomplete recovery and evaluated at discharge and other times (7 10 days postadmission, 3 and 12 months postdischarge). Using logistic regression, predictors associated with recovery were identified. Results: Of 190 patients with outcomes available at discharge, 128 patients (67.4%) recovered, whereas 62 (32.6%) had an incomplete recovery, including 13 deaths (6.8%). Variables predictive of outcomes at discharge in the bivariate and multivariable analyses included Asian/Pacific Islander race, neuroimaging results and Glasgow Coma Score. Asian/Pacific Islander patients were less likely to recover than patients of other races (adjusted odds ratio = 0.43, P = 0.046). Patients with normal neuroimaging studies were more likely to recover than patients with abnormal neuroimaging (adjusted odds ratio = 2.54, P = 0.008). Patients with Glasgow Coma Score >= 7 were more likely to recover than patients with Glasgow Coma Score <7 (adjusted odds ratio = 5.82, P < 0.001). In a multivariable analysis, similar statistically significant findings were noted at all other analyzed times. Results were similar using a different population for validation, however, due to the small number of Asian/Pacific Islander patients; this finding could not be validated. Conclusions: This study is unique in identification of race/ethnicity as an independent predictor of pediatric encephalitis outcomes. Additional variables may be useful ancillary tools in determining prognosis.