Epilepsy in anaesthesia and intensive care

Abstract

Epilepsy is defined as recurrent (two or more) epileptic seizures unprovoked by any immediately identifiable cause. A seizure can be defined as the clinical manifestation of an abnormal and excessive discharge of neurones, which is seen as alteration of consciousness, motor, sensory or autonomic events. Epilepsy is relevant to the anaesthetist for several reasons, for example medication and drug interactions, postoperative seizures, and intensive care management of status epilepticus.