Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0038220 (status epilepticus)
 7,272 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Altered mental status and reduced level of consciousness are common among patients admitted to palliative care units. However, nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) has rarely been considered as a possible cause, and electroencephalographic confirmation of the epileptic status is sparse. The clinical presentation of patients with NCSE varies from altered mental status to coma, with no or only minimal convulsions. We report a prospective evaluation of patients with altered mental status on admission to our palliative care unit in the year 2007. Of 290 patients admitted in 2007, 49 patients showed signs of confusion or delirium and/or a reduction in their level of consciousness. NCSE was suspected clinically in 22 of these patients, and epileptic activity could be confirmed in 15 (5.2%) of 290 patients. Nine of 15 patients could be effectively treated with anticonvulsants and regained communication ability before death. NCSE appears to be an important, often unrecognized, and potentially treatable cause of altered mental status in palliative care patients. Pharmacological treatment might restore communicative abilities even in severely ill patients.
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PMID:Nonconvulsive status epilepticus in palliative care patients. 2059 4

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a syndrome with numerous neurological manifestations including altered mental status and seizures. However, status epilepticus (SE) has rarely been reported in this condition. Signs may be transient or fluctuate; however, permanent deficits do occur. Its prognosis was once considered uniformly poor, with a high mortality rate. Since the introduction of plasma infusions and exchanges, the prognosis of the disease has improved dramatically; remissions now occur in 80-90% of patients. Altered mental status in TTP often resolves with plasmapheresis. Likewise, we successfully treated a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) with pronounced clinical effects of status epilepticus with plasmapheresis and steroid treatment.
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PMID:Treatment of status epilepticus with plasmapheresis in a patient with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. 2184 73