Article · Volume 8, Issue 3 · pp. 145–147

Looking beyond the Obvious: Cefepime-induced Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus

Vinayaka Anuhya¹, Sushil Kiran Kunder¹, Sharath Madhyastha¹, Veena Nayak¹, Raviraja V. Acharya¹, Kusugodlu Ramamoorthi¹, Avinash Arivazhahan¹, Rahul Sai Gangula¹

¹Departments of Pharmacology and Medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal University, Manipal, Karnataka, India.

Abstract

Cephalosporins are a commonly used class of antibiotics in various types of infections. Cefepime, a fourth-generation cephalosporin, has been reported to cause neurotoxicity, which can present itself as varied manifestations. Nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is a rare manifestation of this neurotoxicity. This condition often proves difficult to diagnose because it is chiefly an electroencephalogram-based diagnosis. The authors report a case of cefepime-induced NCSE in a 57-year-old female patient with compromised renal status.

Keywords: Cephalosporins; encephalopathy; neurotoxicity; seizures

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