Status epilepticus.

The XIVth Consensus Conference on critical care and emergency medicine defi ned status epilepticus pragmatically as three successive seizures without r ecovery of consciousness in the intervals or as continuous seizure activity lasting for more than five to ten minutes. A classification scheme for sta tus epilepticus based on clinical manifestations, age, and etiology has bee n developed and is useful for identifying the cause and malting treatment d ecisions. Status epilepticus can occur either in the wake of an acute event or as the symptom of a known or unknown epileptic condition. Whereas first -line therapy is well-standardized, uncertainties remain regarding the trea tment of refractory status epilepticus.