ABSTRACT
@#The number of patients requiring intensive care has surged since the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This had rendered the intensive care unit (ICU) a huge challenge not only to provide care for the existing patients but also to support the COVID-19 patients. The ICU was restructured to ensure strict adherence to the infection control guidelines. The aspects of change in the ICU had been ranging from the clinical operation, medication equipment and facilities, medications supply, and staffing. Strategies required upon implementation of change include having contingency plans, being innovative, getting the collaboration from other ICUs, exchanging information, getting support from the health policymakers, and ensuring the safety of the healthcare workers. This article aimed to share the experience of challenges and strategies in managing an ICU for the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.
ABSTRACT
@#Dengue infection has a wide clinical spectrum ranging from asymptomatic presentation to life-threatening severe dengue with multiorgan failure, and increasingly recognized neurological presentation in the past decade. Japanese encephalitis on the other hand is another common mosquitoes-borne flavivirus infection endemic in Southeast Asia, which share some similar clinical features. We report a case of a 38-year-old male patient who presented to us with complaints of fever and acute encephalitis syndrome with positive dengue NS1 antigen, and positive cerebrospinal fluid serologies for both dengue and JE immunoglobulins. Magnetic Resonance Imaging findings were suggestive of encephalitic changes. Co-infection and serology cross-reactivity of these two flaviviruses is not uncommon in countries where both dengue and Japanese encephalitis are endemic, and thus, the treating clinician should have a high index of suspicion if clinical and serological evidence are present whilst treating the patient.