Seizures and Status Epilepticus

Published April 6, 2022

Seizures are common in the ICU, and it's important to be able to address them promptly and effectively. In this educational infographic, we review seizures and status epilepticus, and provide an algorithm to consider when treating this critical condition.

Status epilepticus consists of continuous seizure for more than 5 minutes or two or more seizures in 5 minutes without return to consciousness.

Seizure types include convulsive (is more likely to lead to long-term injury and may involve jerking motions, grunting sounds, drooling, and rapid eye movements) and nonconvulsive (may appear acutely confused, look like they're daydreaming, or may have difficulty speaking).

Understand various treatment protocols and diagnostic workup.