Status Epilepticus Following General Anesthesia in an Unrecognized Epilepsy Patient. |
Jun Hak Lee, Seung Ju Hong, Su Jong Lee, Ki Nam Lee, Jun Il Moon |
Department of Anesthesiology, Presbyterian Medical Center, Chonju, Korea. |
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Abstract |
Epileptic patients, who may be deprived of antiepileptic medication, are subject to stimuli that can result in seizures in the postoperative period. Status epilepticus is defined as a continuous seizure that lasts more than 30 minutes or serial seizures in which the patient does not regain a premorbid level of consciousness. Status epilepticus is considered a serious neurologic emergency that requires immediate recognition and prompt treatment to avoid life-threatening complications. We report a case in which status epilepticus developed unexpectedly after several recurrences of generalized convulsions on a 39 year old man who underwent the emergency repair of a bladder perforation. We should consider the influence of poor antiepileptic drug compliance on the precipitation of epileptic seizures when planning anesthesia for epileptic patients. |
Key Words:
Brain: epilepsy; status epilepticus; Complications: postoperative |
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