The Brain on Fire: A Case Study on Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is a rare disease that occurs when antibodies produced by the body’s own immune system attack the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the brain (Dalmau, 2016). For a relatively rare condition, one academic hospital in an urban centre noted four cases of anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis in one single year. Patients develop a multistage condition that progresses from psychosis, memory deficits, seizures, respiratory difficulties, abnormal catatonic movements and language disintegration into a state of unresponsiveness (Dalmau, Lancaster, Hernandez, Rosenfeld and Gordon, 2011).

This case study will focus on the pathologies and medical journeys of three female patients diagnosed with anti-N-NMDA receptor encephalitis at this hospital. This paper will discuss the presentations of each of the cases and the individualized nursing care plans developed to address the needs of this patient population. More specifically, it will highlight the importance of ensuring patient and staff safety in the development of these care plans. The need for implementing ongoing evaluations of these nursing care plans to address the developing needs of patients as they proceed through the diverse and complex phases of the condition will also be discussed.