CONVULSIONS AFTER ENFLURANE IN A SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENT RECEIVING NEUROLEPTICS

A schizophrenic patient suffered from an episode of unexpected grand m al seizure following an enflurance anaesthetic for biopsy of an orbita l lesion. The seizure was brief and subsided spontaneously. An assessm ent of the anaesthetic technique and a thorough neurological examinati on which included a CT scan and an EEG, failed to demonstrate any obvi ous cause for the convulsion. The patient war not an epileptic and was receiving neuroleptic drugs preoperatively for the treatment of schiz ophrenia. A synergistic role of enflurane and neuroleptic drugs in pro ducing seizure activity in this patient is a distinct possibility. Cau tion is therefore recommended when administering enflurane to patients on neuroleptic drugs.