Getting emergency treatment for a seizure

It is rare for seizures to last long or keep recurring one after the other. Status epilepticus is defined as prolonged tonic or clonic seizures lasting longer than thirty minutes. However recent data suggests five minutes of continuous seizure activity has a criterion in defining tatus epilepticus. Periods of status epilepticus are associated with complete loss of consciousness. Tongue biting and urinary incontinence may also occur. Status epilepticus may occur in patients with epilepsy. Status epilepticus requires emergency treatment to stop the seizure. Permanent neuronal damage may occur after thirty minutes of continuous seizure. However, the sooner treatment is initiated, the better the outcome.

Death of neurons can produce atrophy and sclerotic lesions in the effected region of the brain which can ultimately develop into epilepsy. Thus a single prolonged seizure may lead to a recurrent seizure disorder.

Prolonged seizure and sustained muscle contraction may lead to severe, and potentially fatal metabolic and physiologic disturbances such as hyperthermia, or abnormally elevated body temperature, lactic acidosis, or a buildup of lactic acid, a byproduct of muscle metabolism, hypotension, or low blood pressure, hypoxia, or low blood oxygen, hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, or cardiac arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat.

Review Date:4/16/2025
Reviewed By:Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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