Description

This book provides a thorough reappraisal of Status Epilepticus, the severest expression of epilepsy. In the light of modern research it rigorously examines current treatment, critically challenging existing tenets. A scheme of classification is proposed based not solely on seizure type but also on age, pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical features, considering where possible the clinical aspects of status in the context of their scientific basis, whether this is epidemiology, neurophysiology, neuropathology or neuropharmacology. A practical bias is maintained throughout, based on clinical experience, with greatest space devoted to treatment, including reviews of efficacy and toxicity of individual drugs and helpful use of tables to clearly summarize key information. This is a uniquely comprehensive review of the large volume of published literature in this field and will act as an invaluable reference work and practical guide for a wide range of practising clinicians, from neurologists, psychiatrists and paediatricians right through to those involved primarily in emergency medicine.