Status Epilepticus

This term describes the more common form of emergency that can occur with prolonged tonic-clonic (also called convulsive or grand mal) seizures lasting longer than 5 minutes. It is also used for repeated tonic-clonic seizures without recovery of consciousness in between and lasting 5 minutes or longer. People with short tonic-clonic seizures that only last a couple of minutes often may remain unresponsive for several minutes because of the seizure’s post-ictal state. This means that while the shaking has stopped, they are very sleepy and difficult to rouse during the period that follows the seizure. This is because brain function is still recovering. Most patients gradually regain consciousness within 15 to 20 minutes. This post-ictal period can make it hard to tell when a seizure begins and ends.

Convulsive status epilepticus occurs when:

• The active part (rhythmic shaking) of a tonic-clonic seizure lasts 5 minutes or longer
• A person goes into a repeated tonic-clonic seizures without recovering consciousness for a period of longer than 5 minutes

This type of status epilepticus is a medical emergency and requires treatment by a medical team in a hospital setting. This situation can be life-threatening and getting treatment started fast is vital. The outlook may vary depending on the cause of the seizure and if other medical problems or complications occur.