Long-term prognosis related to deep sedation in refractory status Epilepticus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term prognosis in patients with refractory status epilepticus according to the level of sedation reached during drug-induced coma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Longitudinal study of patients with status epilepticus who received anesthetics to induce therapeutic coma. Demographic data, clinical, and electroencephalographic characteristics were collected, as well as variables related to sedation. We considered as deep sedation the EEG burst-suppression patterns (suppression ratio > 50%). A GOSE (Glasgow Outcome Scale Extended) score of 7 or 8 was considered as good prognosis. A comparative study was carried out to identify predictors of good or poor prognosis at discharge, at 1 and 2 years of follow-up. RESULTS: We included 61 patients: 63.9% were men; mean age 53.5 ± 16.8 years (range 16-86 years), 39.3% reached deep sedation; 62.3% had > 48 h induced coma. The median hospital stay was 21 days, while 10 days in the intensive care unit (ICU). In the multiple regression analysis, an ICU length of stay ≥ 7 days was associated with poor prognosis at discharge and at long-term (P < .05), while deep sedation was associated only with poor long-term prognosis (1 and 2 years, P < .05). The Kaplan-Meier curve showed higher survival in the group that did not undergo deep sedation (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: In refractory status epilepticus, deep sedation is associated with poor prognosis at long-term.

Eslicarbazepine acetate and carotid intima-media thickness in epileptic patients.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate if eslicarbazepine acetate (ESL) in combination with other non-inducer antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in the treatment of epilepsy may represent a positive impact in the cardiovascular risk profile. METHODS: multicentre, retrospective, observational, non-interventional, real-life study comparing patients treated with cytochrome P450 (CYP) inducer vs. ESL plus non-inducer AEDs. Primary endpoint: Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measured following the Manheim Consensus criteria. RESULTS: Patients included: 163. The main demographic, clinical and vascular risk parameters were comparable between the two groups except for duration of the disease, prevalence of dyslipidemia and use of lipid-lowering drugs (significantly higher in the inducers group) and number of previous antiepileptic drugs (significantly higher in the non-inducers group). Bivariate analysis of the main endpoint showed almost significant differences (p=0.05) in CIMT measures favourable to non-inducers (average 0.617mm+SD=0.148) vs. inducers (average 0.663mm+SD=0.147). Other variables reaching statistical significance were: age >50 years (p<0.001), high blood pressure (p<0.01) and dyslipidemia (p<0.05). A multivariate analysis including these variables and biochemical vascular risk factors showed a predictor model including two variables: inducers group (p=0.031; Coefficient ß=0.234) and age >50 years (p=0.001; Coefficient ß=0.387). Regarding gender, the mean CIMT in males was significantly higher in the inducers (0.693mm; SD=0.139) than in the non- inducers groups (0.628mm; SD=0.151; p<0.05). In females the differences were not significant. SIGNIFICANCE: The use of CYP inducer AEDs is associated with a significant increase in CIMT as compared with ESL and other non-inducer AEDs. The study shows a decrease in the vascular risk measured by ultrasound criteria in male patients treated with ESL compared with patients treated with inducer AEDs.