title: Status epilepticus related to alcohol abuse.
abstract: We reviewed the case records of 249 adult patients with generalized convulsive status epilepticus (SE) examined in San Francisco General Hospital between 1977 and 1989 and identified 27 patients (10.8%) in whom alcohol abuse was the only identifiable precipitating cause of SE. In 12 patients (44% of the study group), SE was the first presentation of alcohol-related seizures. Seizures with focal features were observed in 11 patients (40.1%), but there was little correlation with localized computed tomography (CT) or EEG abnormalities. SE was controlled with phenytoin (PHT), with or without a benzodiazepine (BZD), in 18 patients (66.7%). Twenty-two patients (81.5%) were discharged with no new neurologic deficits, but time to recovery of baseline mental status was prolonged (> 12 h) in 24 patients. With regard to alcohol abuse history, study patients did not differ from a comparison group with isolated alcohol withdrawal seizures. The results indicate that alcohol abuse is a common cause of SE and that SE may be the first presentation of alcohol-related seizures. Furthermore, the outcome of patients with alcohol-related SE compares favorably with that of patients with SE due to other causes, but recovery of these patients may be complicated by a prolonged postictal state.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0870.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Alldredge
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lowenstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001569:Benzodiazepines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004569:Electroencephalography; D000431:Ethanol / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D012640:Seizures / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001569:Benzodiazepines; D000431:Ethanol; D010672:Phenytoin