Multiple cocaine-induced seizures and corresponding cocaine and metabolite concentrations. 1998

S Winbery, and K Blaho, and B Logan, and S Geraci
Department of Emergency Medicine and Clinical Toxicology, UT Medical Group, Memphis, TN 38103, USA.

The etiology of seizures associated with cocaine use is unclear. Because cocaine seizures are relatively uncommon, they should be diagnosed by exclusion and a neurological workup to rule out central nervous system (CNS) catastrophe should be made. This report describes the clinical findings, treatment, and blood cocaine and metabolite concentrations in a patient who, on two separate occasions, had seizures associated with crack cocaine ingestion. Approximately 1 hour after the ingestion incidents, the patient had multiple, generalized seizures that abated spontaneously. His workup for CNS bleeding, infection, and trauma was negative. Cocaine concentrations on the first incident peaked at 2.48 mg/L and on the second incident peaked at 3.9 mg/L. Other clinical findings included tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, and disorientation. Blood cocaine and metabolite analysis revealed extremely high concentrations. Other than the incident of seizures and transient cardiovascular aberrations, these high concentrations were tolerated by the patient without further sequelae. A review of cocaine-induced seizures and treatment is included.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D012008 Recurrence The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D004638 Emergency Treatment First aid or other immediate intervention for accidents or medical conditions requiring immediate care and treatment before definitive medical and surgical management can be procured. Emergency Therapy,Therapy, Emergency,Emergency Therapies,Emergency Treatments,Therapies, Emergency,Treatment, Emergency,Treatments, Emergency
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D012640 Seizures Clinical or subclinical disturbances of cortical function due to a sudden, abnormal, excessive, and disorganized discharge of brain cells. Clinical manifestations include abnormal motor, sensory and psychic phenomena. Recurrent seizures are usually referred to as EPILEPSY or "seizure disorder." Absence Seizure,Absence Seizures,Atonic Absence Seizure,Atonic Seizure,Clonic Seizure,Complex Partial Seizure,Convulsion,Convulsions,Convulsive Seizure,Convulsive Seizures,Epileptic Seizure,Epileptic Seizures,Generalized Absence Seizure,Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizures,Jacksonian Seizure,Myoclonic Seizure,Non-Epileptic Seizure,Nonepileptic Seizure,Partial Seizure,Seizure,Seizures, Convulsive,Seizures, Focal,Seizures, Generalized,Seizures, Motor,Seizures, Sensory,Tonic Clonic Seizure,Tonic Seizure,Tonic-Clonic Seizure,Atonic Absence Seizures,Atonic Seizures,Clonic Seizures,Complex Partial Seizures,Convulsion, Non-Epileptic,Generalized Absence Seizures,Myoclonic Seizures,Non-Epileptic Seizures,Nonepileptic Seizures,Partial Seizures,Petit Mal Convulsion,Seizures, Auditory,Seizures, Clonic,Seizures, Epileptic,Seizures, Gustatory,Seizures, Olfactory,Seizures, Somatosensory,Seizures, Tonic,Seizures, Tonic-Clonic,Seizures, Vertiginous,Seizures, Vestibular,Seizures, Visual,Single Seizure,Tonic Seizures,Tonic-Clonic Seizures,Absence Seizure, Atonic,Absence Seizure, Generalized,Absence Seizures, Atonic,Absence Seizures, Generalized,Auditory Seizure,Auditory Seizures,Clonic Seizure, Tonic,Clonic Seizures, Tonic,Convulsion, Non Epileptic,Convulsion, Petit Mal,Convulsions, Non-Epileptic,Focal Seizure,Focal Seizures,Generalized Seizure,Generalized Seizures,Generalized Tonic Clonic Seizures,Generalized Tonic-Clonic Seizure,Gustatory Seizure,Gustatory Seizures,Motor Seizure,Motor Seizures,Non Epileptic Seizure,Non Epileptic Seizures,Non-Epileptic Convulsion,Non-Epileptic Convulsions,Olfactory Seizure,Olfactory Seizures,Partial Seizure, Complex,Partial Seizures, Complex,Seizure, Absence,Seizure, Atonic,Seizure, Atonic Absence,Seizure, Auditory,Seizure, Clonic,Seizure, Complex Partial,Seizure, Convulsive,Seizure, Epileptic,Seizure, Focal,Seizure, Generalized,Seizure, Generalized Absence,Seizure, Generalized Tonic-Clonic,Seizure, Gustatory,Seizure, Jacksonian,Seizure, Motor,Seizure, Myoclonic,Seizure, Non-Epileptic,Seizure, Nonepileptic,Seizure, Olfactory,Seizure, Partial,Seizure, Sensory,Seizure, Single,Seizure, Somatosensory,Seizure, Tonic,Seizure, Tonic Clonic,Seizure, Tonic-Clonic,Seizure, Vertiginous,Seizure, Vestibular,Seizure, Visual,Seizures, Generalized Tonic-Clonic,Seizures, Nonepileptic,Sensory Seizure,Sensory Seizures,Single Seizures,Somatosensory Seizure,Somatosensory Seizures,Tonic Clonic Seizures,Tonic-Clonic Seizure, Generalized,Tonic-Clonic Seizures, Generalized,Vertiginous Seizure,Vertiginous Seizures,Vestibular Seizure,Vestibular Seizures,Visual Seizure,Visual Seizures
D016578 Crack Cocaine The purified, alkaloidal, extra-potent form of cocaine. It is smoked (free-based), injected intravenously, and orally ingested. Use of crack results in alterations in function of the cardiovascular system, the autonomic nervous system, the central nervous system, and the gastrointestinal system. The slang term "crack" was derived from the crackling sound made upon igniting of this form of cocaine for smoking. Cocaine, Crack
D019966 Substance-Related Disorders Disorders related to substance use or abuse. Chemical Dependence,Drug Abuse,Drug Addiction,Drug Dependence,Drug Habituation,Drug Use Disorder,Drug Use Disorders,Organic Mental Disorders, Substance-Induced,Substance Abuse,Substance Dependence,Substance Related Disorder,Substance Use,Substance Use Disorder,Substance Use Disorders,Prescription Drug Abuse,Substance Addiction,Abuse, Drug,Abuse, Prescription Drug,Abuse, Substance,Addiction, Drug,Addiction, Substance,Chemical Dependences,Dependence, Chemical,Dependence, Drug,Dependence, Substance,Dependences, Chemical,Disorder, Drug Use,Disorder, Substance Related,Disorder, Substance Use,Disorders, Substance Related,Drug Abuse, Prescription,Habituation, Drug,Organic Mental Disorders, Substance Induced,Related Disorder, Substance,Related Disorders, Substance,Substance Abuses,Substance Uses,Use, Substance

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