Status Epilepticus After Massive Carbamazepine Overdose

Abstract

We report two patients who experienced status epilepticus after carbamazepine overdose. The first patient was an 18-year-old female with a history of epilepsy. She experienced 4 hour of persistent and prolonged seizures resistant to sodium amytal therapy. The status epilepticus ended with her death. The second patient was an 18-year-old male with a history of bipolar disorder. He experienced 5 hour of persistent and prolonged seizures that appeared to be resistant to diazepam, phenytoin, and phenobarbital. The seizures abated with the infusion of midazolam. This is a report of status epilepticus associated with wide complex tachycardia after carbamazepine overdose, which may be resistant to conventional therapy.