Abstract:

Introduction: COVID 19 often presents with flu-like symptoms. Elderly patients with systemic comorbidities are more likely to have severe COVID 19 infections and deaths. Severe neurological complications are frequently reported in severely and critically ill patients. In COVID-19, both central and peripheral nervous systems can be affected. The study aims to overview the spectrum, characteristics, and outcomes of neurologic manifestations associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: A total of 1000 confirmed CoVID-19 patients were enrolled for the study. Demographic features and initial clinical manifestations were noted, and patients were followed during the hospital stay to develop any new neurological signs and symptoms. For analytical purposes, neurological presentations were grouped into the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and musculoskeletal system manifestations. Appropriate laboratory testing was employed as required on a case-to-case basis. Results: The mean age was 44.6 ± 14.3 years. 625 (62.5%) patients were male, while 375 (37.5%) were female. The neurological illness was a primary manifestation in 119 (11.9%) cases. These included encephalopathy (n=78), ischemic stroke (n=28), Guillain- Barre syndrome, (n=3), facial nerve palsy (n=4), and encephalitis (n=6). The most common neurological symptoms were headache 313 (31.3%) and hyposmia 52 (5.2%), followed by encephalopathy 78 (7.8%). More serious complications like seizures 18 (1.8%) and stroke 28 (2.8%) were also seen. Conclusion: CoVID-19 can present with a neurological illness, and we should remain vigilant to the possibility of neurological presentation of COVID-19 that can be thrombo-embolic, inflammatory, or immune-mediated. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(5) 2021 p.155-161

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