Emergency surgery for refractory status epilepticus

Background

Management of refractory status epilepticus in children is extremely challenging.

Case characteristics

Two children with medically refractory status epilepticus, both of whom had lesional pathology on MRI and concordant data on EEG and PET scan.

Intervention

Emergency hemispherotomy performed in both patients. A complete, sustained seizure freedom obtained postoperatively.

Message

Emergency surgery is a treatment option in selected cases of drug refractory status epilepticus with lesional pathology and concordant data.

     

负荷量卡马西平治疗儿童癫痫持续状态和癫痫连续发作68例疗效分析

目的：探讨儿童癫痫持续状态和癫痫连续发作治疗的方法和新途径。方法：采用卡马西平首日剂量为30～40 mg/kg口服或鼻饲,24 h后减至每日15～30 mg/kg维持治疗。结果：治疗儿童癫痫持续状态和癫痫连续发作68例,24 h内控制发作44例,48 h内控制发作16例,总有效率88.2%,有效率的标准误(SP)：3.906%,有效率的95%可信区间为80.58%～95.90%。用药前,用药后1周、1月作血常规和肝功能检查无异常,无1例有中毒症状。结论：负荷量卡马西平治疗儿童癫痫持续状态和癫痫连续发作安全有效。     

儿童惊厥及惊厥性癫(癎)持续状态的急诊处理

惊厥(convulsion)与惊厥性癫(癎)(epilepsy)持续状态是临床经常遇到的一种急诊情况.每个儿科医生都应形成一个清晰完整的概念和掌握正确的规范化处理流程,从而能够更好的处理这种急重症.为此,本文拟从惊厥及惊厥性癫(癎)持续状态的急诊处理诸方面结合文献和临床实践所见进行剖析,供儿科同仁参考.     

Emergency management of the paediatric patient with generalized convulsive status epilepticus

The present guideline paper addresses the emergency management of generalized convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in children and infants older than one month of age. It replaces the previous statement from 1996, and includes a new treatment algorithm and table of recommended medications, reflecting new evidence and the evolution of clinical practice over the past 15 years. The document focuses on the acute pharmacological management of CSE, but some issues regarding supportive care, diagnostic approach and treatment of refractory CSE are discussed.     

Management of acute seizure episodes and status epilepticus in children

OBJECTIVE: The authors make an up-to-date review about diagnosis and treatment of the acute seizures and status epilepticus.METHODS: Bibliographic review of Medline database including articles published in the last ten years.RESULTS: Acute seizures and status epilepticus affect children of all the age groups. Acute seizures can either represent the first manifestation of an epileptic condition or be an acute symptomatic event. Status epilepticus represents a serious cerebral insult determined by various causes. The emergency, neurology and pediatric intensive care units should elaborate clinical policy for the establishment of precise diagnostic criteria and therapeutic approach. A good clinical approach should include immediate life support, monitoring and rational drug administration to end up the seizure and reduce morbidity and mortality risks.CONCLUSION: The better understanding of the pathophysiology as well as the elaboration of a rational clinical policy improved the outcome in these medical emergencies.     

儿童癫(癎)持续状态治疗进展

癫(癎)持续状态(status epilepticus,SE)是小儿时期最常见的危急重症之一.近年来,对于其定义、易忽视的发作形式、药物治疗及脑电图监测的作用不断有新的认识.本文着重对于SE定义、诊断、治疗等方面的新进展进行综述,并介绍国外难治性SE的最新治疗方案.     

Continuous midazolam infusion as treatment of status epilepticus

Accepted 5 February 1997In a tertiary referral centre, midazolam infusion was tried as treatment for 20 children with status epilepticus over a period of two years. The mean age of the children was 4.07 years. Twelve children with refractory status epilepticus had received intravenous or per rectal diazepam and intravenous phenytoin/phenobarbitone or both before midazolam was given (0.15 mg/kg bolus followed by 1-5 µg/kg/min infusion). Eight children required only midazolam to control the established status epilepticus. The seizures were controlled in 19 children. The mean time required for complete cessation of seizures was 0.9 hours. The mean infusion rate required was 2.0 µg/kg/min. All children had regained full consciousness by a mean of 5.1 hours after discontinuation of midazolam treatment. No metabolic derangement or compromise of vital functions was noted in any of the children. Midazolam infusion is thus an effective and safe therapeutic approach for the management of childhood status epilepticus.     

Lidocaine treatment in pediatric convulsive status epilepticus.

BACKGROUND: Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) may end fatally or leave serious sequelae. CSE treatment, invariably an emergency case, is based upon i.v. benzodiazepines as well as phenytoin, barbiturates or both. The present paper reports efficiency of lidocaine in CSE. METHODS: The effects of lidocaine on patients with CSE due to infectious and non-infectious reasons were compared. Lidocaine was given in 29 episodes of CSE to 49 patients having failed to respond to first-line anticonvulsive drugs, such as diazepam, phenobarbital and phenytoin therapy. Lidocaine was given in doses of 2 mg/kg bolus i.v., and then in 4 mg/kg per h infusion. RESULTS: Mean duration of lidocaine infusion was 14.6 +/- 7.8 h. Effectiveness of lidocaine in patients with CSE was found to be 44.4%. Also, 11 patients responded to a single dose of lidocaine (37.9%), while another two (6.9%) required another dose to suppress their seizures. Patients with seizures attributable to infections were observed to have responded favorably to lidocaine when compared to those with seizures due to epilepsy (37.9% vs 6.8%; P < 0.05). Subsequent epilepsy was found to occur more frequently in patients with a poor response to lidocaine than in patients with a good response (P < 0.05). Adverse reactions to lidocaine were observed in three patients (10.3%), two of them having ventricular arrhythmia. As for the other patient, the focal seizure developed into a generalized one. CONCLUSIONS: Lidocaine seems to be useful for the management of CSE as a rapid-acting anticonvulsant, particularly in patients with CSE due to infections. But further studies with larger number of patients are needed.     

Imipramine-precipitated status epilepticus

Frontal lobe epilepsy has a complex and atypical semiology that may masquerade as psychiatric or parasomnias[1].An electroencephalography(EEG)and sleep lab work...     

Febrile status epilepticus

As part of a study of status epilepticus in children (Maytal J, Shinnar S, Moshe SL, Alvarez LA. Pediatrics. 1989; 83:323-331); 44 children with febrile convulsions lasting more than 30 minutes were followed for a mean of 28 months (range 4 to 72). Thirty children were followed prospectively. Children with prior afebrile seizures or evidence of acute central nervous system infection were excluded. Nine (20%) children had prior neurological deficits. The duration of the febrile seizure was 0.5 to 1 hour in 41 cases (85%), 1 to 2 hours in 5 (10%), and greater than 2 hours in 2 children (5%). No child died or developed new neurological deficits following the seizures. The risk of recurrent seizures was increased, but only in the group with prior neurological abnormality. Six (66%) of these children had subsequent febrile seizures compared with 12 (34%) of the normal children (P = .08). Three (33%) had recurrent febrile status epilepticus compared with only 1 (3%) normal child (P = .023). The 2 children in the prospective arm of the study with recurrent febrile status epilepticus were both neurologically abnormal (P = .035). All 3 of the children who subsequently had afebrile seizures (2 prospective) were neurologically abnormal (P = .006 overall, P = .035 for prospective only). It is concluded that the occurrence of febrile status epilepticus in a neurologically impaired child is a risk factor for subsequent febrile as well as afebrile seizures. The occurrence of febrile status epilepticus in an otherwise normal child does not significantly increase the risk for subsequent febrile (brief or prolonged) or afebrile seizures in the first few years following the episode.     

Diagnostic evaluation and management of seizures and status epilepticus in children with known epilepsy or new-onset seizures: A retrospective and comparative analysis

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to describe and compare the initial management, including clinical/biological investigation and treatment, of new-onset seizures and status epilepticus (SE) in children versus seizures and SE in those with known epilepsy.MethodsThis was a retrospective, single-center, observational study conducted in an urban pediatric hospital in Paris. All patients, aged from 1 month to 18 years, admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit, the high-dependency care unit, and those who required hospitalization in the short-term unit of the emergency department between January 1 and December 31, 2014 for seizures and/or SE were included.ResultsWe analyzed the data of 190 children: new-onset seizures (N = 118; group A) versus those with known epilepsy (N = 72; group B). At least one diagnostic test was performed on 156 patients (82.1%) (group A, N = 104, 88.1%; group B, N = 52, 72.2%; P = 0.05). In group B, blood levels of antiepileptic drugs were measured in 14 of the 38 patients with SE, of whom six were under dosed. Treatments were: first line, diazepam (group A, 80%; group B, 46%; P < 0.001); second line, diazepam (group A, 56%; group B, 34%; P = 0.02) or clonazepam (group A, 24%; group B, 46%; P = 0.001); third line, phenytoin (group A, 54%; group B, 22%; P < 0.001) or clonazepam (group A, 18%; group B, 61%; P < 0.001).ConclusionDiagnostic evaluation and treatment should be individualized for children with known epilepsy.     

Management of status epilepticus

Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is a neurological emergency. It can be the brain’s response to a variety of acute cerebral insults, or a complication of chronic neurological conditions. Management focuses on maintaining vital functions, stopping the seizure and identifying and treating the underlying cause. Morbidity and mortality have improved over recent years, probably because of more aggressive use of anti-convulsant medication in the acute phase and improved paediatric emergency and intensive care. Neurological sequelae are cause- and age-dependent. The highest morbidity and mortality is seen in the group of children with symptomatic CSE. More accurate epidemiological data is now being gathered on CSE in children, which has refined our understanding of the problem. Much work has gone into the development of evidence-based national guidelines on the optimal management in children, and new evidence from both epidemiological studies and the Cochrane review are informing improvements to the guidelines.     

Efficacy and safety of intravenous sodium valproate versus phenobarbital in controlling convulsive status epilepticus and acute prolonged convulsive seizures in children: a randomised trial

Status epilepticus and acute prolonged seizures are the most commonly occurring neurological emergencies in children. Such events have high morbidity and mortality rates along with poor long-term outcomes, depending on their duration and causes. Therefore, such seizures warrant urgent treatment using appropriate doses of anticonvulsants. Benzodiazepines, phenobarbital, and phenytoin are the most commonly used anticonvulsants for controlling status epilepticus and acute prolonged seizures. However, these medications have several well-known adverse effects. Previous studies on both adults and children have shown the efficacy and safety of rapid infusion of valproate in controlling status epilepticus. However, few well-designed randomised trials have been carried out in children, and there remains a paucity of data regarding intravenous sodium valproate use in children. Therefore, our aim was to compare the efficacy and safety of rapid loading of valproate with those of intravenous phenobarbital in children with status epilepticus and acute prolonged seizures. Sixty children (30 in each group) with convulsive status epilepticus and acute prolonged seizures were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either valproate or phenobarbital. The main outcome variable was termination of all convulsive activity within 20 min of starting anticonvulsant infusion. Intravenous rapid loading of valproate was successful in seizure termination in (27/30, 90%) of patients compared to phenobarbital (23/30, 77%) (p = 0.189). Clinically significant adverse effects occurred in 74% patients of the phenobarbital group and 24% patients of the valproate group (p < 0.001). In conclusion, rapid loading of valproate is effective and safe in controlling convulsive status epilepticus and acute prolonged convulsive seizures in children. Intravenous valproate should be considered as a suitable choice for terminating status epilepticus and acute prolonged seizures in children.     

异丙酚持续静滴治疗小儿癫癎持续状态的临床观察

目的总结异丙酚持续静滴治疗小儿癫癎持续状态的疗效.方法对2001年4月至2003年10月唐山工人医院儿科8例继发性癫癎持续状态患儿的治疗进行分析,本组8例均为常规抗癫癎药物不能控制的继发性癫癎所致癫癎持续状态.在使用常规止惊药物失败后开始异丙酚静滴.结果8例患儿全部抽搐停止.结论癫癎持续状态是儿科急症之一,如何在短时间内控制癫癎持续状态是治疗成败的关键,在正确常规治疗无逆转时,应用异丙酚持续静滴可以有效控制癫癎持续状态且未见严重不良反应.