Patient selection: refractory status epilepticus
Outcome failures:
(1) death
(2) failure to control at all (initial failure, no initial control)
(3) breakthrough failure (initial control, recurrent during therapy, with need to switch therapy)
(4) withdrawal seizures (initial control, with recurrence on tapering or discontinuing therapy, with need to switch therapy)
(5) intolerable side effects from a therapy, requiring change in therapy
Successful therapeutic outcome:
(1) The patient survives.
(2) There is initial control.
(3) There are no breakthrough seizures with need to switch therapy to get control.
(4) There are no intolerable side effects.
(5) There are no withdrawal seizures with need to switch therapy to get control.
Successful therapy includes recurrent seizures controlled by using the same therapy, with or without needing to increase the dose. Therapy is considered a failure if there is a need to change therapy to achieve control.
