25 years of advances in the definition, classification and treatment of status epilepticus. 2017

Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
Department of Neurology, Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, and Christian Doppler Medical Centre, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neurosciences Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; University for Medical Informatics and Health Technology, UMIT, Hall in Tirol, Austria. Electronic address: e.trinka@salk.at.

OBJECTIVE Status epilepticus (SE) requires not only urgent symptomatic treatment with antiepileptic drugs but also rapid identification and treatment of its cause. This narrative review summarizes the most important advances in classification and treatment of SE. METHODS Data sources included MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and back tracking of references in pertinent studies, reviews, and books. RESULTS SE is now defined as "a condition resulting either from the failure of the mechanisms responsible for seizure termination or from the initiation of mechanisms, which lead to abnormally, prolonged seizures (after time point t1). It is a condition, which can have long-term consequences (after time point t2), including neuronal death, neuronal injury, and alteration of neuronal networks, depending on the type and duration of seizures." A new diagnostic classification system of SE introduces four axes: semiology, aetiology, EEG correlates, and age. For the acute treatment intravenous benzodiazepines (lorazepam, diazepam, clonazepam) and intramuscular midazolam appear as most effective treatments for early SE. In children, buccal or intranasal midazolam are useful alternatives. In established SE intravenous antiepileptic drugs (phenytoin, valproate, levetiracetam, phenobarbital, and lacosamide) are in use. Treatment options in refractory SE are intravenous anaesthetics; ketamine, magnesium, steroids and other drugs have been used in super-refractory SE with variable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Over the past 25 years major advances in definition, classification and understanding of its mechanisms have been achieved. Despite this up to 40% of patients in early status cannot be controlled with first line drugs. The treatment of super-refractory status is still an almost evidence free zone.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D002986 Clinical Trials as Topic Works about pre-planned studies of the safety, efficacy, or optimum dosage schedule (if appropriate) of one or more diagnostic, therapeutic, or prophylactic drugs, devices, or techniques selected according to predetermined criteria of eligibility and observed for predefined evidence of favorable and unfavorable effects. This concept includes clinical trials conducted both in the U.S. and in other countries. Clinical Trial as Topic
D004569 Electroencephalography Recording of electric currents developed in the brain by means of electrodes applied to the scalp, to the surface of the brain, or placed within the substance of the brain. EEG,Electroencephalogram,Electroencephalograms
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013226 Status Epilepticus A prolonged seizure or seizures repeated frequently enough to prevent recovery between episodes occurring over a period of 20-30 minutes. The most common subtype is generalized tonic-clonic status epilepticus, a potentially fatal condition associated with neuronal injury and respiratory and metabolic dysfunction. Nonconvulsive forms include petit mal status and complex partial status, which may manifest as behavioral disturbances. Simple partial status epilepticus consists of persistent motor, sensory, or autonomic seizures that do not impair cognition (see also EPILEPSIA PARTIALIS CONTINUA). Subclinical status epilepticus generally refers to seizures occurring in an unresponsive or comatose individual in the absence of overt signs of seizure activity. (From N Engl J Med 1998 Apr 2;338(14):970-6; Neurologia 1997 Dec;12 Suppl 6:25-30) Absence Status,Complex Partial Status Epilepticus,Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Non-Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Petit Mal Status,Simple Partial Status Epilepticus,Grand Mal Status Epilepticus,Status Epilepticus, Complex Partial,Status Epilepticus, Electrographic,Status Epilepticus, Generalized,Status Epilepticus, Generalized Convulsive,Status Epilepticus, Grand Mal,Status Epilepticus, Non-Convulsive,Status Epilepticus, Simple Partial,Status Epilepticus, Subclinical,Electrographic Status Epilepticus,Generalized Status Epilepticus,Non Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Status Epilepticus, Non Convulsive,Status, Absence,Status, Petit Mal,Subclinical Status Epilepticus
D016208 Databases, Factual Extensive collections, reputedly complete, of facts and data garnered from material of a specialized subject area and made available for analysis and application. The collection can be automated by various contemporary methods for retrieval. The concept should be differentiated from DATABASES, BIBLIOGRAPHIC which is restricted to collections of bibliographic references. Databanks, Factual,Data Banks, Factual,Data Bases, Factual,Data Bank, Factual,Data Base, Factual,Databank, Factual,Database, Factual,Factual Data Bank,Factual Data Banks,Factual Data Base,Factual Data Bases,Factual Databank,Factual Databanks,Factual Database,Factual Databases
D049673 History, 20th Century Time period from 1901 through 2000 of the common era. 20th Century History,20th Cent. History (Medicine),20th Cent. History of Medicine,20th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 20th Century,History of Medicine, 20th Cent.,History, Twentieth Century,Medical History, 20th Cent.,Medicine, 20th Cent.,20th Cent. Histories (Medicine),20th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 20th (Medicine),Cent. History, 20th (Medicine),Century Histories, 20th,Century Histories, Twentieth,Century History, 20th,Century History, Twentieth,Histories, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 20th Century,Histories, Twentieth Century,History, 20th Cent. (Medicine),Twentieth Century Histories,Twentieth Century History
D049674 History, 21st Century Time period from 2001 through 2100 of the common era. 21st Century History,21st Cent. History (Medicine),21st Cent. History of Medicine,21st Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 21st Century,History of Medicine, 21st Cent.,History, Twenty-first Century,Medical History, 21st Cent.,Medicine, 21st Cent.,21st Cent. Histories (Medicine),21st Cent. Medicines,21st Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 21st (Medicine),Cent. History, 21st (Medicine),Cent. Medicine, 21st,Cent. Medicines, 21st,Century Histories, 21st,Century Histories, Twenty-first,Century History, 21st,Century History, Twenty-first,Histories, 21st Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 21st Century,Histories, Twenty-first Century,History, 21st Cent. (Medicine),History, Twenty first Century,Medicines, 21st Cent.,Twenty-first Century Histories,Twenty-first Century History

Related Publications

Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
September 2023, Medicina,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
December 2020, Seminars in neurology,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
January 2000, Revista de neurologia,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
July 2008, Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
March 2005, Epileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
January 1983, Advances in neurology,
Eugen Trinka, and Reetta Kälviäinen
January 2015, TheScientificWorldJournal,
Copied contents to your clipboard!