Calculating the risk benefit equation for aggressive treatment of non-convulsive status epilepticus.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To address the question: does non-convulsive status epilepticus warrant the same aggressive treatment as convulsive status epilepticus?

Methods

We used a decision model to evaluate the risks and benefits of treating non-convulsive status epilepticus with intravenous anesthetics and ICU-level aggressive care. We investigated how the decision to use aggressive versus non-aggressive management for non-convulsive status epilepticus impacts expected patient outcome for four etiologies: absence epilepsy, discontinued antiepileptic drugs, intraparenchymal hemorrhage, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Each etiology was defined by distinct values for five key parameters: baseline mortality rate of the inciting etiology; efficacy of non-aggressive treatment in gaining con

SUBMITTER: Ferguson M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3767472 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature