Is the long term delay in the diagnosis of Encephalitis and Lupus a matter of concern?
Patient: a friends daughter (25 years) was admitted to a pshych ward, with atypical signs, and symptions of a ? psychosis i.e no hallucinations, delusional beliefs , formal thought disorder, nor self harm ideation were apparent other concerns was that this presentation was of a : fast onset i.e virtually one day to the next : We fought to have her moved from a psych ward to a general facility in order to have her appropriately assessed and treated finally teats were carried out and during the lumbar puncture, elevated white blood cells, were discovered there is also a family history of lupus ( autoimune disorder) this person is aware of where she is; o However over time ( the last month) she has noticeably deteriorated sadly it has taken this long for a diagnosis of encephalitis to be provided. the concern here is the delay in appropriate diagnosis, thus delaying the much needed treatment for this person there are grave concerns given that it has been a month till now that this diagnosis has been provided the long term ramifications related to the delay in diagnosis and treatment are seriously concerning and alarming ; your view would be appreciated Doctor: Dear Madam,It is advisable to get the tests done early so that the diagnosis can be made early . and the appropriate treatement needs to be started at the earliest to avoid brain damage .Dr. Shruti