Journal article

When the first seizure can be the last: ventricular fibrillation following a new-onset seizure

Anver Sethwala, Paul Sparks, Piero Perucca

EPILEPTIC DISORDERS | JOHN LIBBEY EUROTEXT LTD | Published : 2020

Abstract

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of epilepsy-related mortality. Its mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Post-ictal arrhythmias rather than ictal arrhythmias appear to be associated with an increased risk of SUDEP. Only a handful of individuals with epilepsy who have survived ventricular arrhythmias post seizure (near-SUDEP) are reported in the literature. We report a case of ventricular fibrillation following a first-ever unprovoked seizure in a patient without epilepsy, in whom a sinus rhythm was restored following cardioversion. A defibrillator was subsequently implanted. Our case suggests that even first seizures might account for some of the many ca..

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