EEG and clinical features in epileptic children during halothane anaesthesia

Clinical and EEG changes were studied in 12 children affected by infantile cerebral palsy and generalized or focal epilepsy, during and after halothane anaesthesia induced by orthopaedic surgery. The anaesthesia was induced by inhalation of halothane 1.5%, and maintained with halothane 0.5%. During anaesthesia a decrease of the incidence of epileptic abnormalities was observed in 10 patients. In the other 2 children no changes were seen. At the end of surgery, when the anaesthetic was gradually suspended, there was a notable increase of epileptic abnormalities in 4 children. Clinical seizures were never observed during or shortly after surgery. In the majority of the cases, the EEGs performed 1 week later did not show modifications of epileptic abnormalities, as compared to the preoperative EEGs. Only in a few patients the epileptic activity was modified. The data show that halothane anaesthesia can be used in epileptic children without risking activation of seizures.