Table 2.
Clinical course of enterohemorrhagic E scherichia coli (EHEC) infection in patients 2–5 (no data for patient 1). Symptoms that were not detected or not assessable: headache, distal paresis, cranial nerve palsy; n.a. = not assessable; n.d. = not determined; EEG1 = general EEG changes; EEG4 = combination of general and focal EEG changes; MRI0 = no changes; MRI5 = combination of cortical, subcortical, thalamo‐pontin and callosal MRI changes; modified Rankin scale: 0—no symptoms, 1—no significant disability (able to carry out all usual activities, despite some symptoms), 2—slight disability (able to look after own affairs without assistance, but unable to carry out all previous activities), 3—moderate disability (requires some help, but able to walk unassisted), 4—moderately severe disability (unable to attend to own bodily needs without assistance, and unable to walk unassisted), 5—severe disability (requires constant nursing care and attention, bedridden, incontinent), 6—dead; Hb, minimal hemoglobin level; leucocyte, maximal leucocyte counts; thrombo, minimal thrombocyte counts; GFR, minimal glomerular filtration rate (60 or higher = 60); CRP = maximal C‐reactive protein levels (below 5 = 0); LDH = maximal levels of lactate dehydrogenase
| Patient No. | Week | Organic brain syndrome | Aphasia | Seizures | Other neurological symptoms | Intubation | Complications | MRI/EEG changes | Modified rankin scale | Min. Hb (g/dL) | Max. leucocyte (109/L) | Min. thrombo. (109/L) | Max. urea (mg/dL) | Max. creatinine (mg/dL) | Min. GFR (mL/minute) | Max. CRP (mg/L) | Max. LDH (U/L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Severe | severe | No | No | No | None | n.d. | 0 | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. |
| 2 | Severe | severe | No | No | No | None | EEG4 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 204 | 26 | 2 | 7 | 427 | ||
| 3 | Severe | severe | Yes | No | No | Death | n.d. | 6 | 10 | 23 | 69 | 52 | 2 | 24 | 8 | 684 | |
| 3 | 1 | None | None | No | No | No | None | n.d. | 5 | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. | n.d. |
| 2 | Mild | Mild | No | Yes | No | None | n.d. | 5 | 10 | 12 | 234 | 46 | 3 | n.d. | 223 | 306 | |
| 3 | n.a. | n.a. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Death | n.d. | 6 | 10 | 47 | 34 | 57 | 5 | 13 | 205 | 1 527 | |
| 4 | 1 | None | None | No | No | No | None | n.d. | 1 | 11 | 26 | 34 | 57 | 3 | n.d. | 266 | 1 399 |
| 2 | Severe | None | No | No | Yes | Sepsis | n.d. | 5 | 6 | 56 | 31 | 81 | 4 | 13 | 229 | 1 685 | |
| 3 | n.a. | n.a. | No | No | Yes | Sepsis | n.d. | 5 | 6 | 18 | 44 | 57 | 3 | 20 | 255 | 4 935 | |
| 4 | n.a. | n.a. | No | No | Yes | Death | MRI5 | 6 | 10 | 17 | 44 | 19 | 1 | 44 | 33 | 13 559 | |
| 5 | 1 | None | None | No | No | No | None | n.d. | 2 | 16 | 20 | 232 | 42 | 1 | 60 | 204 | 314 |
| 2 | Mild | None | No | No | No | None | MRI0, EEG1 | 2 | 12 | 19 | 53 | 67 | 2 | 30 | 145 | 684 | |
| 3 | Mild | None | No | No | No | None | n.d. | 4 | 12 | 28 | 135 | 76 | 3 | 20 | 184 | 567 | |
| 4 | None | None | No | No | No | Death | n.d. | 6 | 12 | 25 | 199 | 94 | 4 | 17 | 135 | 453 |