Frequency of non convulsive status epilepticus in patients with impaired level of consciousness.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the frequency of Non Convulsive Status Epilepticus in patients admitted with impaired consciousness.


METHODS
All EEG's in patients with impaired level of consciousness over four years from 2002- 2006 were reviewed. All EEG's showing continuous epileptiform discharges were included. Findings of all these EEG's were divided into five groups; generalized spikes and wave, generalized sharp and wave, focal spike and wave, focal sharp and wave and periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges.


RESULTS
There were 785 EEG's recorded in patients with impaired level of consciousness. Only 12 (1.5%) patients were identified with NCSE on EEG. The commonest EEG findings in our patients with NCSE were: Continuous focal spike and wave seen in 4(33%), Continuous generalized spike and wave 3 (25%), Continuous generalized sharp and wave 3 (25%), Continuous focal sharp and wave 1 (8.3) and Continuous periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) in 1 (8.3%) patient.


CONCLUSIONS
NCSE is an important treatable entity which can be easily recognized by doing an EEG.
Department of Clinical Neurophysiology & Neurology, Liaquat National Hospital, Institute of Postgraduate Medical Studies, Karachi, Pakistan.
Maimoona
M
Siddiqui
Nazish
N
Jamil
Abdul
A
Malik
Asia
A
Bano
Farrukh Shohab
FS
Khan
Khurram
K
Siddiqui
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult