Premium
First Epileptic Seizure Induced by Occupational Nickel Poisoning
Author(s) -
Denays Roger,
Kumba Claudine,
Lison Dominique,
De Bels David
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2005.70004.x
Subject(s) - status epilepticus , epilepsy , medicine , etiology , coma (optics) , respiratory distress , pediatrics , anesthesia , psychiatry , physics , optics
Summary: Toxic causes of seizures are numerous: alcohol and other substances of abuse, drugs, and industrial and household products. However, in the absence of a clearly suggestive history and/or associated symptoms and signs, identification of the toxic origin of new‐onset seizures may be extremely difficult. We report here the case of a patient admitted in our hospital after a single generalized tonic–clonic seizure. The remarkable coincidence that a colleague of his, with whom he was working to clean the same workshop, had been admitted 1 week earlier for respiratory distress, coma, and de novo nonconvulsive focal status epilepticus, led us to consider a possible toxicologic etiology. Urine analysis revealed a high nickel concentration, suggestive of acute nickel poisoning.