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Emergency Neurological Life Support: Status Epilepticus

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Abstract

Patients with prolonged or rapidly recurring convulsions lasting more than 5 min should be considered to be in status epilepticus (SE) and receive immediate resuscitation. Although there are few randomized clinical trials, available evidence and experience suggest that early and aggressive treatment of SE improves patient outcomes, for which reason this was chosen as an Emergency Neurological Life Support protocol. The current approach to the emergency treatment of SE emphasizes rapid initiation of adequate doses of first line therapy, as well as accelerated second line anticonvulsant drugs and induced coma when these fail, coupled with admission to a unit capable of neurological critical care and electroencephalography monitoring. This protocol will focus on the initial treatment of SE but also review subsequent steps in the protocol once the patient is hospitalized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Critical Care Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA

    Jan Claassen

  2. Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Joshua N. Goldstein

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  1. Jan Claassen
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  2. Joshua N. Goldstein
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Correspondence to Jan Claassen.

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Claassen, J., Goldstein, J.N. Emergency Neurological Life Support: Status Epilepticus. Neurocrit Care 27 (Suppl 1), 152–158 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-017-0460-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12028-017-0460-1

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