Open AccessStatus epilepticus: Why, what, and how
Author(s) -
PP Nair,
Jayantee Kalita,
Usha Kant Misra
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of postgraduate medicine/journal of postgraduate medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.405
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 0972-2823
pISSN - 0022-3859
DOI - 10.4103/0022-3859.81807
Subject(s) - medicine , status epilepticus , phenytoin , epilepsy , stroke (engine) , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , anesthesia , psychiatry , mechanical engineering , engineering
Status epilepticus (SE) is an important neurological emergency with high mortality and morbidity. The first official definition of SE was the product of 10 th Marseilles colloquium held in 1962 which was accepted by International League Against Epilepsy in 1964. There are as many types of SE as of seizures. SE is supposed to result from failure of normal mechanisms that terminate an isolated seizure. In half of the cases, there is no history of epilepsy and SE is precipitated by some intercurrent infection. In children, it is often infection, whereas in adults, the major causes are stroke, hypoxia, metabolic derangements, and alcohol intoxication or drug withdrawal. The treatment of SE aims at termination of SE, prevention of seizure recurrence, management of precipitating causes, and the management of complications. The extent of investigations done should be based on the clinical picture and cost benefit analysis. The first line antiepileptic drugs (AED) for SE include benzodiazepines, phenytoin, phosphenytoin, and sodium valproate. Mortality of SE ranges between 7 and 39% and depends on underlying cause and response to AEDs.