Occurrence of cerebral seizures provoked by alcohol abuse.
Alcohol intoxication was detected in the immediate history of 277 (49%) of the 560 consecutive seizure patients brought to the emergency room of Meilahti hospital in Helsinki during the course of a year, most of these patients being young men of working age. The alcohol-provoked seizures occurred mainly on Sunday and Monday, following the weekly pattern of alcohol consumption in Finland, and preceded delirium tremens in 21 patients (4%). Even short periods of intoxication (1-2 days) provoked seizures. The data indicate that among patients with a previous history of recurrent alcohol-withdrawal seizures, new treatable diseases of the CNS, especially acute brain injuries, are frequently encountered. Therefore, all seizure problems, not neglecting those of alcoholics, should be carefully examined.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000150:complications*; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000209:etiology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology