Clinical care of two patients with Ebola virus disease in the United States

N Engl J Med. 2014 Dec 18;371(25):2402-9. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1409838. Epub 2014 Nov 12.

Abstract

West Africa is currently experiencing the largest outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in history. Two patients with EVD were transferred from Liberia to our hospital in the United States for ongoing care. Malaria had also been diagnosed in one patient, who was treated for it early in the course of EVD. The two patients had substantial intravascular volume depletion and marked electrolyte abnormalities. We undertook aggressive supportive measures of hydration (typically, 3 to 5 liters of intravenous fluids per day early in the course of care) and electrolyte correction. As the patients' condition improved clinically, there was a concomitant decline in the amount of virus detected in plasma.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Viral / therapeutic use*
  • Disease Outbreaks
  • Drugs, Investigational / therapeutic use*
  • Ebolavirus / immunology*
  • Female
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / drug therapy
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / epidemiology
  • Hemorrhagic Fever, Ebola / therapy*
  • Humans
  • Liberia
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • United States

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Drugs, Investigational
  • ZMapp