Cerebral infection

Intracerebral haemorrhage - Cerebral infection Factor

The Repatriation Medical Authority (RMA) has defined a cerebral infection to mean:

• cerebral abscess;  or
• cerebral helminthic infection (cysticercosis, schistosomiasis, sparganosis); or
• cerebral protozoal infection (malaria);  or
• encephalitis;
• intracerebral fungal infection (aspergillosis or mucormycosis);  or
• meningitis.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of cerebral infection include sudden fever, headache, vomiting, abnormal visual sensitivity to light, stiff neck, confusion, drowsiness, clumsiness, unsteady gait, and irritability.  In more serious cases there can be loss of consciousness, poor responsiveness, seizures, muscle weakness, sudden severe dementia, memory loss, withdrawal from social interaction, and impaired judgement.  Symptoms may last for 1-2 weeks and result in a full recovery or leave some permanent impairment.  In severe cases death may result within 48 hours of onset.

Establishing onset

A veteran or member with cerebral infection would require significant medical attention at the time.  Such medical treatment would be expected to be recorded in the service or hospital records.  If these cannot be obtained, a reliable history of cerebral infection at a particular time will generally be accepted, unless there is contradictory evidence.  Obtain medical advice if it is unclear whether the claimed symptoms and treatment at that time can be attributed to one of the cerebral infections specified by the RMA rather than to some other condition.

Investigative Documents

Preliminary questions [25369]

25371 there is some evidence that cerebral infection may be a factor in the development of the condition under consideration, a cerebrovascular accident.

25372  cerebral infection means one of the infections listed in the definition of such an infection in the Statements of Principles for cerebrovascular accident.

25373 the veteran suffered from the identified illness or injury, a cerebral infection, at the time of the clinical onset of the condition under consideration, a cerebrovascular accident.

25374  the veteran has established the causal connection between cerebral infection and VEA service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.

25375   the veteran has established the causal connection between cerebral infection and operational service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.

or

25376   the veteran has established the causal connection between cerebral infection and eligible service for the clinical onset of cerebrovascular accident.

Clinical onset and operational service [25375]

25377  the identified illness or injury, a cerebral infection, is causally related to operational service.

Clinical onset and eligible service [25376]

25378  the identified illness or injury, a cerebral infection, is causally related to eligible service.