Altered mental status is an indicator of mortality and associated with both infectious and non-communicable disease in Lilongwe, Malawi

Trop Doct. 2015 Jul;45(3):164-7. doi: 10.1177/0049475515577024. Epub 2015 Mar 29.

Abstract

Little is known about diseases associated with altered mental status (AMS) in resource-limited settings. We studied adult medicine patients presenting with AMS in Lilongwe, Malawi and found that AMS and HIV infection were each significantly associated with mortality. It is therefore critical that evaluation and management in this patient population is improved.

Keywords: Altered mental status; HIV; infectious diseases; non-communicable diseases; resource-poor settings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Cohort Studies
  • Communicable Diseases / epidemiology
  • Communicable Diseases / mortality
  • Communicable Diseases / psychology
  • Female
  • HIV Infections / epidemiology*
  • HIV Infections / mortality
  • HIV Infections / psychology
  • Hospital Mortality
  • Humans
  • Malawi / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Mental Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Mental Disorders / mortality
  • Mental Disorders / psychology
  • Poverty Areas
  • Prevalence
  • Retrospective Studies