II. Types

  1. Early Posttraumatic Seizure
    1. Within first 7 days of initial Head Injury
  2. Late Posttraumatic Seizure
    1. Beyond first 7 days from initial Head Injury

III. Risk Factors

  1. Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) <10
  2. Posttraumatic Amnesia >30 minutes
  3. Skull Fracture
  4. Penetrating Head Trauma
  5. Intracranial Hemorrhage (Subdural Hematoma, Epidural Hematoma)
  6. Seizure within first 24 hours following Head Trauma
  7. Cortical Contusion
  8. Age >65 years old
  9. Chronic Alcoholism

IV. Management

  1. See Status Epilepticus
  2. Seizure Prophylaxis Indications IF risk factors present (see above)
    1. Recommended for early Posttraumatic Seizure (first 7 days) due potential impact on TBI recovery
    2. Not recommended for late Posttraumatic Seizure prophylaxis due to adverse effects
  3. Seizure Prophylaxis Agents
    1. Phenytoin
      1. Recommended by Brain Trauma Foundation
    2. Levetiracetam (Keppra)
      1. Often used in practice

V. Prognosis

  1. Posttraumatic Seizure itself is not associated with worse prognosis
  2. However, Posttraumatic Seizure does occur more commonly with Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

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Related Studies

Ontology: Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic (C0014557)

Definition (MSH) Recurrent seizures causally related to CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA. Seizure onset may be immediate but is typically delayed for several days after the injury and may not occur for up to two years. The majority of seizures have a focal onset that correlates clinically with the site of brain injury. Cerebral cortex injuries caused by a penetrating foreign object (CRANIOCEREBRAL TRAUMA, PENETRATING) are more likely than closed head injuries (HEAD INJURIES, CLOSED) to be associated with epilepsy. Concussive convulsions are nonepileptic phenomena that occur immediately after head injury and are characterized by tonic and clonic movements. (From Rev Neurol 1998 Feb;26(150):256-261; Sports Med 1998 Feb;25(2):131-6)
Concepts Injury or Poisoning (T037)
MSH D004834
SnomedCT 157437008, 75023009
English Epilepsies, Post-Traumatic, Epilepsies, Traumatic, Epilepsy, Post Traumatic, Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic, Epilepsy, Traumatic, Post-Traumatic Epilepsies, Post-Traumatic Epilepsy, Traumatic Epilepsies, Traumatic Epilepsy, EPILEPSY POSTTRAUMATIC, SEIZURE DIS POST TRAUMATIC, POST TRAUMATIC SEIZURE DIS, epilepsy following trauma, Disorder, Post-Traumatic Seizure, Disorders, Post-Traumatic Seizure, Post Traumatic Seizure Disorder, Post-Traumatic Seizure Disorder, Post-Traumatic Seizure Disorders, Seizure Disorder, Post Traumatic, Seizure Disorder, Post-Traumatic, Seizure Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Epilepsy, Post-Traumatic [Disease/Finding], post-traumatic epilepsy, traumatic epilepsy, post traumatic epilepsy, posttraumatic epilepsy, Traumatic epilepsy (disorder), Post-traumatic epilepsy, PTE - Post-traumatic epilepsy, Post-traumatic epilepsy (disorder), epilepsy; traumatic, traumatic; epileptic, Traumatic epilepsy, Post-traumatic seizure disorder
Italian Epilessia post-traumatica, Disturbo da crisi convulsive post-traumatiche, Disturbo convulsivo post traumatico, Epilessia traumatica, Epilessia post traumatica
Dutch posttraumatische convulsieve aandoening, epilepsie; traumatisch, traumatisch; epilepsie, posttraumatische epilepsie, Epilepsie, posttraumatische, Epilepsie, traumatische, Posttraumatische epilepsie
French Crises post-traumatiques, Epilepsie post-traumatique, Épilepsie post-traumatique, Crise d'épilepsie post-traumatique
German posttraumatische Krampfanfaelle, post-traumatische Epilepsie, Epilepsie, posttraumatische, Epilepsie, traumatische, Posttraumatische Epilepsie, Epileptische Anfälle, posttraumatische
Portuguese Convulsão epiléptica pós-traumática, Epilepsia pós-traumática, Epilepsia Pós-Traumática, Epilepsia Traumática, Transtorno de Ataque Pós-Traumático
Spanish Crisis comicial post-traumática, epilepsia postraumática (trastorno), epilepsia postraumática, Epilepsia postraumática, Epilepsia Postraumática, Epilepsia Traumática, Trastorno de Crisis Postraumática
Japanese 外傷後発作障害, ガイショウゴホッサショウガイ, ガイショウゴテンカン, 外傷癲癇, 外傷てんかん, 癲癇-外傷, 外傷性てんかん, てんかん-外傷, てんかん-外傷後, 外傷後てんかん
Swedish Epilepsi, posttraumatisk
Finnish Aivovamman jälkeinen epilepsia
Russian EPILEPSIIA POSTTRAVMATICHESKAIA, EPILEPSIIA TRAVMATICHESKAIA, ЭПИЛЕПСИЯ ПОСТТРАВМАТИЧЕСКАЯ, ЭПИЛЕПСИЯ ТРАВМАТИЧЕСКАЯ
Czech Potraumatická epilepsie, Posttraumatická záchvatovitá porucha, posttraumatická epilepsie, epilepsie traumatická
Croatian EPILEPSIJA, POSTTRAUMATSKA
Polish Padaczka urazowa, Padaczka pourazowa
Hungarian Posttraumás epilepsia, Posttraumás epilepsia betegség
Norwegian Posttraumatisk epilepsi, Epilepsi relatert til skade