Antibiotic use and long-term outcome in patients with tick-borne encephalitis and co-infection with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Central Europe : a retrospective cohort study

Velušček, Maša (author), Blagus, Rok (author), Cerar Kišek, Tjaša (author), Ružić-Sabljić, Eva (author), Avšič-Županc, Tatjana (author), Bajrović, Fajko (author), Stupica, Daša (author)

In this retrospective cohort study of patients with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), the clinical outcome in relation to co-infection with B. burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.) and, specifically, the effect of antibiotic treatment on clinical outcome in patients with TBE who were seropositive for borreliae but who did not fulfil clinical or microbiologic criteria for proven co-infection, were assessed at a single university medical center in Slovenia, a country where TBE and Lyme borreliosis are endemic with high incidence. Among 684 patients enrolled during a seven-year period from 2007 through 2013, 382 (55.8%) had TBE alone, 62 (9.1%) had proven co-infection with borreliae and 240 (35.1%) had possible co-infection. The severity of acute illness was similar in all the groups. The odds for incomplete recovery decreased during a 12-month follow-up but were higher in women, older patients, and in those with more severe acute illness. Incomplete recovery was not associated with either proven (odds ratio (OR) 1.21, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49–2.95; p = 0.670) or possible co-infection (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.55–1.65; p = 0.853). Among patients with possible co-infection, older patients were more likely to be prescribed antibiotics, but the odds for incomplete recovery were similar in those who received antibiotics and those who did not (OR 0.82, 95% CI 0.36–1.87; p = 0.630), suggesting that routine antibiotic treatment in patients with TBE and possible co-infection may not be warranted.

• Language: English
• Keywords: tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme borreliosis, antibiotic therapy, co-infection
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: 13 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 8, iss. 10, art. 1740
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-133138
• UDC: 616.9
• ISSN on article: 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101740
• COBISS.SI-ID: 6855084
• Publication date in RUL: 12.11.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Journal of clinical medicine
• Shortened title: J. clin. med.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2077-0383
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5405759

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 20.10.2019

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0296
• Name: Bolezni in povzročitelji, ki jih v Sloveniji prenašajo členonožci