Cardiac asystole in partial seizures

Literature review shows many anecdotal case reports of cardiac asystole in ictal recordings of partial seizures. We have reviewed our data from the last five years, of patients who are being assessed for epilepsy surgery and found 2 out of more than 1,500 complex partial seizures, recorded in 589 consecutive patients, showing a significant period of asystole (13 and 15 seconds). Our previous studies of cardiac and respiratory parameters during partial seizures showed that a central apnoea occurred in 39%. It is probable that sudden death during seizures is due to the interaction of both cardiac and respiratory irregularities. Although rare (occurrence < 0.15%), the possibility of cardiac asystole occurring in an epilepsy monitoring unit highlights the need for resuscitation equipment to be readily available and for trained nursing staff. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the semiology of seizures may be affected by the consequences of secondary cardiac asystole.