Seizure-related injuries in multihandicapped patients with therapy-resistant epilepsy

Epilepsia. 1993 Sep-Oct;34(5):836-40. doi: 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1993.tb02099.x.

Abstract

A prospective study on seizure-related injuries in Norway's two nursing homes for persons with epilepsy was conducted. Sixty-two multihandicapped patients with mostly difficult-to-treat epilepsy were assessed for 13 months: 6,889 seizures, 2,696 with ensuing falls, resulted in 80 injuries. The seizure-related injury risk was 1.2%. The most frequent injuries were mild soft tissue injuries with and without cuts. Six serious injuries were recorded: two leg fractures, one mandibular fracture, one neck of the femur fracture, one skull fracture, and one subdural hematoma. A 71-year-old woman with subdural hematoma died during operation for the hematoma. Seizure types most often causing injury were atonic and tonic-clonic seizures. Prophylactic measures can be taken. Because the seizure-induced injury risk was slight, we concluded that even persons with refractory epilepsy should be encouraged to lead active lives.

MeSH terms

  • Accidents / statistics & numerical data
  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Disabled Persons*
  • Epilepsy / complications*
  • Female
  • Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
  • Fractures, Bone / etiology
  • Hematoma, Subdural / etiology
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Norway / epidemiology
  • Nursing Homes / statistics & numerical data
  • Prospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Wounds and Injuries / epidemiology*
  • Wounds and Injuries / etiology