When would you start antiepileptic drugs in a critically ill patient who develops myoclonic jerks but has not yet had an EEG?
Answer from: at Community Practice
Treatment depends on the setting in which these myoclonic jerks are seen.
In a non-cardiac arrest patient, such myoclonic jerks are often due to medications, organ dysfunction (e.g., uremia, etc), electrolyte imbalance, or non-convulsive seizures, etc, and workup for this is recommended with labs, ...
Comments
at Albany Med Health System As above, for cardiac arrest patients, Keppra and ...
I generally err on the side of caution by starting ASM when unclear about the etiology for myoclonic jerks, especially in the setting of cardiac arrest/concern for anoxic brain injury, especially if there are delays in obtaining an EEG. If the EEG monitoring does not reveal seizures or epileptiform ...
As above, for cardiac arrest patients, Keppra and ...