Changes in the treatment of pediatric acute encephalopathy in Japan between 2015 and 2021: A national questionnaire-based survey

Although acute encephalopathy (AE) is the most serious disorder associated with a viral infection in childhood and often causes death or neurological sequelae, standard treatments have not been established. In 2016, the Japanese Society of Child Neurology published the "Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Encephalopathy in Childhood 2016" (AE GL 2016). We conducted a questionnaire survey to evaluate the status of the treatment of pediatric AE in 2021 and the changes in treatment before and after the publication of the AE GL 2016.In October 2021, questionnaires were mailed via the web to members of two mailing lists who were involved in the practice of pediatric neurological disorders.Most Japanese physicians (98 %) engaged in the treatment of pediatric AE used the AE GL 2016 as a clinical reference. From 2015 to 2021, the number of institutions that implemented targeted temperature management (TTM), vitamin administration, and continuous electroencephalographic monitoring increased significantly. Regarding the targeted temperature for TTM, the proportion of patients who were treated with normothermia (36.0-37.0 °C) increased from 2015 (55 %) to 2021 (79 %). The use of corticosteroids in patients with AE caused by a cytokine storm, which is recommended in the AE GL 2016, had already been implemented in most institutions by 2015.The AE GL 2016 could be used to disseminate the knowledge accumulated to date. Evidence of the efficacy and proper indication criteria for the treatment of AE is insufficient and must be further accumulated.