Effects of edaravone combined with antiviral drug in the treatment of viral encephalitis

Abstract

Objective To explore the treatment effects of edaravone combined with antiviral drugs on 30 adult cases with viral encephalitis. Methods Sixty adult patients with viral encephalitis in our hospital were selected for the study and were divided into control group and observation group according to the admission number, with 30 cases in each group. Control group was treated with conventional antiviral drugs, and observation group was given antiviral drugs combined with edaravone. Another 30 healthy people admitted to the hospital in the same period for physical examination were included in healthy group. The clinical efficacy and time to normalization of clinical manifestations (fever, headache, vomiting, EEG abnormalities) were recorded in observation group and control group, and the oxidative stress indicators [catalase (CAT), lipids peroxide (LPO)] and nerve injury indexes [neuron-specific enolase (NSE), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)] were compared between observation group, control group and healthy group before treatment and after 2 weeks of treatment. The neurological deficit [National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)] was observed in observation group and control group. Results The clinical efficacy in observation group was significantly better than that in control group (P<0.05), and the normal recovery times of fever, headache, vomiting and abnormal EEG were lower than those in control group (P<0.05). After 2 weeks of treatment, the partial oxidative stress index (serum CAT) in observation group and control group was higher than that before treatment (P<0.05) while partial oxidative stress index (serum LPO), nerve injury indexes (serum NSE, GFAP) and neurological defect (NIHSS score) were lower than those before treatment (P<0.05), and the changes in observation group were greater than those in control group (P<0.05). The serum CAT levels in the two groups before and after treatment were lower than those in healthy group (P<0.05), and the levels of LPO, NSE and GFAP were higher than those in healthy group (P<0.05). Conclusions Edaravone combined with antiviral drugs has significant treatment effects in the treatment of adult viral encephalitis. It can not only reduce the body’ s oxidative stress response, but also reduce nerve injury and improve neurological deficit, and it has a certain application value. Key words: Viral encephalitis; Edaravone; Antiviral therapy; Oxidative stress; Nerve injury