title: Early myoclonic status and outcome after cardiorespiratory arrest.
abstract: It has been suggested that early myoclonic status after cardiorespiratory arrest is an agonal event. Here we describe three cases who developed early myoclonic status during a coma after cardiorespiratory arrest due to acute asthma. As consciousness improved, each patient developed Lance-Adams type multifocal myoclonus, but the eventual outcome was satisfactory. Only one patient needed assistance to walk, and all three were self caring. One patient had persistent dyscalculia. Early myoclonic status is not necessarily an agonal event, particularly when it follows arrest due to acute asthma or asphyxia.
authors.affiliation: National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004831:Epilepsies, Myoclonic / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000150:complications*; D013997:Time Factors