Is brain imaging necessary for febrile elderly patients with altered mental status? A retrospective multicenter study.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Altered mental status (AMS) is one of the most common symptoms in the febrile elderly. Brain imaging tests are an important tool for diagnosing AMS patients. However, these may be prescribed unnecessarily in emergency departments, particularly for febrile patients with AMS for whom infection is suspected, leading to excessive radiation risk and cost. In this study, we investigated the factors that can predict clinically significant abnormal brain imaging (ABI) in the febrile elderly with AMS.

Methods

This retrospective multicenter study was conducted from July 2016 to June 2019. Febrile patients over the age of 65 years with AMS who visited the emergency department of two tertiary university hospitals were enrolled. Medical records were reviewed, and laboratory res

SUBMITTER: Choi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7392262 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature