Brain Rattled, Heart Shackled: Ictal Asystole in a Patient without Prior History of Epilepsy or Arrhythmia

Abstract

We present a case of ictal asystole in an 81-year-old female, with no prior history of epileptic activity, or cardiac history suggestive of arrhythmia, who suffered several seemingly unrelated epileptic and asystolic episodes prior to finally having a witnessed seizure followed by an asystolic event. Following this event, all atrioventricular (AV) nodal blockers, and medications with potential seizure threshold lowering activity were stopped, and anti-epileptic medication was optimized. Due to the wishes of the patient’s family, no invasive interventions were pursued.However, the patient continued to be medically treated with anti-epileptic therapy and had no further asystolic events. Unfortunately, the patient’s overall clinical status deteriorated, and she subsequently passed during her hospital stay after being made do not resuscitate and do not intubate (DNR/DNI) by the family and then subsequently comfort care. Prior to her passing, however, she had remained free of epileptic events for 10 days and free of asystolic events for 21 days.