Critically ill patients with chikungunya virus infection during the carribean outbreak 2013 - 2014

Results The cohort consisted in 65 patients, their median age was 63 years (52-70), their median Simplified Acute Physiology Score II at admission was 39 (28-54). The large majority of patients had pre-existing diseases, mainly hypertension, diabetes and chronic heart failure. Twenty-seven (41.5%) patients presented with exacerbations of previous underlying disease. Neurological manifestation occurred in 17 (27.4%) patients, including six (9.2%) with Guillain-Barré syndrome, but only four (6.1%) met criteria for encephalitis. Pulmonary edema or other aggravation of chronic heart disease was present in 13 (20%) patients. Only one patient had suspected myocarditis. Twelve patients (18.7%) had severe sepsis or septic shock, including seven (10.7%) without any other clinically or microbiologically documented infection. Thirty-seven patients (56·9%) required mechanical ventilation. Hospital mortality was 27.7%.