Dexmedetomidine as an antiepileptic in super refractory status epilepticus

Abstract

Refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) is a life-threatening neurological emergency, associated with very high morbidity and mortality. Treatment should be aimed to stop seizure and to avoid cerebral damage and morbidity related to it. The term SRSE is reserved for the patients who continue to have seizures despite the use of general anesthetic agents, or for whom seizures recur when therapy is tapered or withdrawn. A variety of treatment modalities are present, almost entirely based upon open observational studies or case reports. Therapy includes anesthesia, antiepileptic drug therapy, hypothermia, ketogenic diet, other medical, immunological, and physical therapies. In our case the patient’s seizure subsided after starting dexmedetomidine infusion while other antiepileptics had been completely stopped except valproic acid. © 2019 Faculty of Anaesthesia, Pain and Intensive Care, AFMS. All rights reserved.