Ketamine Infusion Used to Successfully Control Refractory Status Epilepticus in a Pregnant Patient

The management of SE during pregnancy is especially challenging to the treating physician. While antiepileptic medications might cause teratogenicity, SE can have significant morbidity and mortality on both the mother and the developing fetus. This case report demonstrated the successful use of ketamine infusion in the management of RSE in pregnancy without affecting the immediate outcome of pregnancy. The fetus survived this complicated ICU stay and outpatient follow-up was generally uncomplicated. The pregnancy was ended with a delivery of a normal female newborn

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: Institutional experience and literature review

Objectives: To review the current practice in the diagnosis, monitoring and management of TCM in SAH patients at our tertiary referral institution and the relevant literature, and to evaluate the effect of certain treatment modalities on the outcome of those patients. Patients and methods: A retrospective institutional chart review of 800 patients with aneurysmal SAH from 2007 to 2014. Eighteen patients were identified to have both aneurysmal SAH and TCM based on echocardiogram. Demographic data, clinical parameters, radiographic findings, treatment modalities, and laboratory results were analyzed. Results: The incidence of typical TCM in our patients was 2.2%. Mortality rate of TCM in SAH was 22% compared to the total mortality rate of all non-traumatic SAH patients of 15% in our institution over the same time period. Use of beta blockers prior to or after the diagnosis of TCM did not seem to affect their outcome. Majority of patients (61%) were on vasopressors prior to the diagnosis of TCM. Of those, 73% had good outcomes. Even after the diagnosis of TCM, good outcomes were observed in 6 of 7 patients who remained on vasopressors. Conclusion: Despite the general agreement on the importance of the avoidance of vasopressors in TCM, our experience showed that the use of vasopressors is safe in these patients. The use of beta blockers in our patients was not associated with significantly better outcomes despite multiple previous reports on beta blocker usage in TCM. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Secondary hypothermia in patients with super-refractory status epilepticus managed with propofol and ketamine

Background: Therapeutic hypothermia as a potent nonpharmacologic antiseizure therapy has been investigated experimentally in animal models and humans. Although induced hypothermia has been shown to be neuroprotective in acute convulsive status epilepticus, whether its use will translate into improved outcomes for patients with super-refractory nonconvulsive status epilepticus (SRNCSE) has been debated. No clinical data are available on the occurrence and prognostic impact of secondary hypothermia (s-HT) in patients with SRNCSE. With the possibility of core to periphery redistribution of heat with propofol and a centrally mediated dose-dependent fall in body temperature with ketamine, we aimed to investigate the incidence of s-HT events in patients with SRNCSE managed with propofol and ketamine and their impact on clinical outcomes.Methods: We performed a retrospective observational analysis of consecutive patients with SRNCSE managed with propofol and/or ketamine in a single-center neurological intensive care unit between December 1, 2012 and December 31, 2015. Patients were divided according to the occurrence of hypothermia (temperature 35.0 degrees C) into an s-HT group and a nonhypothermia (n-HT) group. Patients who received targeted temperature management therapy were excluded. We compared the demographics, comorbidities, treatment characteristics, and outcomes between groups.Results: Ninety-nine consecutive patients with SRNCSE managed with propofol and/or ketamine were identified during the study period. Twenty patients who received targeted temperature management were excluded, leaving a total of 79 patients for analysis. Hypothermia was observed in 52% (41/79) of the study population. Ketamine was used in 63/79 patients (80%). Ketamine infusion rates were higher and of longer duration among patients who developed s-HT compared with those who did not (mean dosage: 57.35 +/- 26.6 mcg/kg/min vs 37.17 +/- 15 mcg/kg/min, P = 0.001: duration: 11636 +/- 81.9 h vs 88 +/- 89.7 h, P = 0.048). Propofol was used in 78/79 patients (99%), with no significant differences in characteristics between groups (mean dosage: 46.44 +/- 20.2 mcg/kg/min vs 36.9 +/- 12.9 mcg/kg/min, P = 0.058; duration: 125.43 +/- 96.4 h vs 102.3 +/- 87.1 h, P = 0.215). No significant differences in demographics, comorbidities, status epilepticus duration and resolution rates, and outcomes were observed between groups.Conclusion: In this single-center retrospective analysis of patients whose SRNCSE is being treated, higher doses and longer durations of ketamine were associated with the occurrence of s-HT. Further investigation is warranted to clarify the thermogenic effects of ketamine and its effect on status epilepticus outcomes