Altered mental status is an indicator of mortality and associated with both infectious and non-communicable disease in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Overview

Little is known about diseases associated with altered mental status (AMS) in resource-limited settings. We studied adult medicine patients presenting with AMS in Lilongwe, Malawi and found that AMS and HIV infection were each significantly associated with mortality. It is therefore critical that evaluation and management in this patient population is improved.