A CASE OF SEIZURE-RELATED BRADYCARDIA AND ASYSTOLE

Cardiac arrhythmias are frequently seen with epileptic seizures and th eir occurrence has been proposed as a possible cause for sudden unexpe cted death in patients with epilepsy. Reported is a case of a 32-year- old man who presented to the emergency department (ED) following a gen eralized tonic-clonic seizure and subsequently developed sinus bradyca rdia and asystole following a second, witnessed tonic-clonic event. Th is case illustrates the potential for life-threatening cardiac arrhyth mias in patients with seizures. The importance of hemodynamic monitori ng in seizure patients while they are in the ED is emphasized. (Am J E merg Med 1998;16:582-584. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company) .