Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T16:44:30.694Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 106 - The causes of convulsive status epilepticus in adults

from Section 5 - Status epilepticus

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 March 2012

Simon D. Shorvon
Affiliation:
National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London
Frederick Andermann
Affiliation:
Montreal Neurological Hospital and Institute
Renzo Guerrini
Affiliation:
Child Neurology Unit, Meyer Pediatric Hospital, Florence
Get access

Summary

This chapter presents the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment for convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in adults. In adults, the most common etiologies are low antiepileptic drug levels, remote symptomatic etiologies, and stroke. Generalized convulsive SE is typically manifested as generalized tonic stiffening, followed by rhythmic jerking movements of the extremities that are usually symmetric. Patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy and myoclonic SE may initially retain consciousness between recurrent myoclonic jerks, but awareness becomes altered as the SE progresses. Convulsive SE may occur in adults with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and in those with epilepsy associated with ring chromosome 20, but non-convulsive SE is more common. Imitators of partial convulsive SE include hemifacial spasm, asymmetric tremor, myoclonic jerks, tics, focal dystonia, paroxysmal nocturnal dyskinesia, and blepharospasm. Several randomized blinded trials of treatments for SE have compared lorazepam and diazepam in the treatment of SE, and found a higher response rate for lorazepam.
Type
Chapter
Information
The Causes of Epilepsy
Common and Uncommon Causes in Adults and Children
, pp. 735 - 744
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×