MULTIPLE COCAINE-INDUCED SEIZURES AND CORRESPONDING COCAINE AND METABOLITE CONCENTRATIONS

Citation
S. Winbery et al., MULTIPLE COCAINE-INDUCED SEIZURES AND CORRESPONDING COCAINE AND METABOLITE CONCENTRATIONS, The American journal of emergency medicine, 16(5), 1998, pp. 529-533
Citations number
31
Categorie Soggetti
Emergency Medicine & Critical Care
ISSN journal
07356757
Volume
16
Issue
5
Year of publication
1998
Pages
529 - 533
Database
ISI
SICI code
0735-6757(1998)16:5<529:MCSACC>2.0.ZU;2-G
Abstract
The etiology of seizures associated with cocaine use is unclear. Becau se cocaine seizures are relatively uncommon, they should be diagnosed by exclusion and a neurological workup to rule out central nervous sys tem (CNS) catastrophe should be made. This report describes the clinic al findings, treatment, and blood cocaine and metabolite concentration s in a patient who, on two separate occasions, had seizures associated with crack cocaine ingestion. Approximately 1 hour after the ingestio n incidents, the patient had multiple, generalized seizures that abate d spontaneously, His workup for CNS bleeding, infection, and trauma wa s negative. Cocaine concentrations on the first incident peaked at 2.4 8 mg/L and on the second incident peaked at 3.9 mg/L, Other clinical f indings included tachycardia, hypertension, diaphoresis, and disorient ation, Brood cocaine and metabolite analysis revealed extremely high c oncentrations, Other than the incident of seizures and transient cardi ovascular aberrations, these high concentrations were tolerated by the patient without further sequelae, A review of cocaine induced seizure s and treatment is included. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Compa ny.