From drugs to delirium

Since status epilepticus had lasted for 8-9 h, we prescribed phenytoin, as a preventive treatment with a rapid onset of action. In one study, EEG monitoring showed NCSE in 8% of comatose patients with no clinical signs of epilepsy.2 The outcome can be grave, especially in patients without pre-existing epilepsy.1,3 NCSE can be simple partial, complex partial, or generalised: some classifications also include "subtle" NCSE, which only occurs after generalised convulsive status epilepticus.1 Generalised NCSE is also known as absence NCSE, since it consists of prolonged absence seizures.1 In simple partial NCSE, consciousness is preserved, since epileptic activity is localised.