Seizure primary prevention

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Shakiba Hassanzadeh, MD[2]

Some of the preventable etiologies for epilepsy that should be considered in primary prevention include central nervous system (CNS) infection, CNS parasitosis, prenatal and perinatal brain insults, stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Some factors that can precipitate or provoke seizure may include chronic sleep deprivation, alcohol use, illicit drug use, some medications that reduce the seizure threshold, toxins, homeostasis abnormalities due to organ failure, metabolic abnormalities, and medical and surgical histories that may be important in assessing the patient’s risk for future seizures.

Some of the preventable etiologies for epilepsy that should be considered in primary prevention include:^[1]

• Central nervous system (CNS) infection
  • Meningitis
  • Encephalitis
• CNS parasitosis
  • Neurocysticercosis (NCC)
  • Cerebral malaria
  • Onchocerciasis
• Prenatal and perinatal brain insults
• Stroke
• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Factors that can precipitate or provoke seizure may include:^[2][3][4]

• Chronic sleep deprivation
• Alcohol use
• Illicit drug use
• Some medications that reduce the seizure threshold such as:
  • Bupropion
  • Cephalosporins
  • Clozapine
  • Fluoroquinolones
  • Tramadol
• Toxins
• Homeostasis abnormalities due to organ failure
• Metabolic abnormalities
• Medical and surgical histories that may be important in assessing the patient’s risk for future seizures, such as:
  • Childhood development (such as delivery complications)
  • History of central nervous system (CNS) infections, diseases, or surgeries
  • History of head injuries (especially if there were loss of consciousness)