Table 2.
Signs and symptoms "at presentation"* for all hospitalised adult encephalitis cases in three Hunter New England hospitals, Australia, July 1998-December 2007
| Symptoms at presentation | Cases, n = 74 (%) |
|---|---|
| Fever | 57 (77.0%) |
| Altered Consciousness State (ACS) including irritability and/or coma | 51 (68.9%) |
| Headache | 46 (62.1%) |
|
Encephalitis "triad" (headache, fever, ACS) |
26 (35.1%) |
| Other symptoms: | |
| Lethargy | 24 (32.4%) |
| Focal neurological signs | 23 (31.1%) |
| Seizures | 19 (25.7%) |
| Photophobia | 13 (17.6%) |
| Neck stiffness | 11 (14.9%) |
| Abnormal behaviour | 9 (12.1%) |
| Rash | 7 (9.5%) |
| Myalgia and/or arthralgia | 2 (2.7%) |
*a sign/symptom was considered to be present "at presentation" if the patient/next of kin reported to have had the sign/symptom in the 24 hours prior to presentation or if it was documented in the patient record during the first 48 hours of their admission.