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Immediate and progressive neurological damage after electrical injury: A pediatric case report
Alfonso Rubino1, Pia Bernardo2, Carmela Russo3
1Department of Neuroscience, Pediatric Neurology, Santobono-Pausilipon Children's Hospital, Naples, Italy.
Insights
Electrical injury in a child can lead to severe neurological issues, including refractory status epilepticus. This case highlights a 5-year-old boy who developed this condition and brain death following an electrical shock.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatric Neurology
- Neurotraumatology
Background:
- Electrical injuries pose significant risks to the central and peripheral nervous systems.
- Neurological sequelae can manifest acutely or with delayed onset.
Observation:
- A 5-year-old boy experienced an electrical shock from an alternating current source.
- Upon emergency department arrival, he presented with focal seizures at the site of electrical contact.
Findings:
- The patient exhibited progressive structural brain changes correlating with the electrical injury site.
- Neurological deterioration rapidly advanced, culminating in brain death within days.
Implications:
- This case represents the first reported instance of refractory status epilepticus in a child post-electrical injury.
- The precise pathogenetic mechanisms underlying this severe neurological outcome remain to be elucidated.
Background:
An electrical injury can cause multiple consequences, especially to the nervous system, both peripheral and central. Such consequences may present immediately as well as later on.
Aims Of The Study:
To report on a case of a 5-year-old boy with focal refractory status epilepticus after an electrical injury.
Methods:
Clinical history, electroencephalography, neuroimaging, and laboratory data of a patient admitted to our emergency department.
Results:
A 5-year-old male received an electrical shock by contact with an alternating current source after coming out of the pool. When reaching our emergency department, focal seizures was observed in the same site affected by the electrical insult, with progressive structural changes in the related brain area. In the days after, his neurological conditions dramatically evolved leading to brain death.
Conclusions:
Based on our knowledge, this is the first report on refractory status epilepticus in a child after electrical injury. The possible underlying pathogenetic mechanisms are not yet clear.
