Should Postanoxic Status Epilepticus Be Treated Agressively? Yes!

Cardiac arrest is common and has a high mortality rate. For resuscitated patients, the development of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury is the major culprit. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy is the cause of death for majority of patients with presumed severe brain injury, and assessment of prognosis should be evidence based and multimodal. Postanoxic status epilepticus is not an established criterion of a poor neurologic prognosis, and a good outcome is possible. Patients with postanoxic status epilepticus should therefore be actively treated with prolonged intensive care including antiepileptic and sedative agents to suppress seizure activity, if reliable indicators of a poor prognosis are absent.