Ketamine for medically refractory status epilepticus after elective aneurysm clipping

Medically refractory status epilepticus, without an identifiable cause, post elective aneurysm clipping is a rare event.

To describe the two cases of refractory status epilepticus post elective aneurysm clipping, without an identifiable cause, and discuss the potential role for early consideration of ketamine.

Retrospectively reviewed two patients at our institution who developed refractory status epilepticus post elective aneurysm clipping, without a defined cause.

Two patients who underwent elective aneurysm clipping developed medically refractory status epilepticus post-craniotomy. No structural, vascular, infectious, or metabolic cause was identified. Seizure control failed with multiple medications and intravenous sedatives over the period of weeks in both. Ketamine was instituted at 20 and 40 mg/kg/min in these patients. Within hours of starting ketamine, burst suppression was obtained in both. Medications were all tapered over the next month, and both the patients recovered to be cognitively normal, with mild residual morbidity secondary to critical care polyneuropathy.

Refractory status epilepticus, in the absence of an identifiable etiology, in elective aneurysm clipping is a rare event. Consideration should be given for the early use of ketamine in refractory status epilepticus.