Abstracts

Rationale: To evaluate the influence of hospitalization in a neurology department on the identification of risk factors for seizure recurrence in patients with a presumed first unprovoked seizure.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients with a presumed first unprovoked seizure, who were admitted to the neurology departments at two medical centers between 2006 and 2009. Risk factors for seizure recurrence included the following: abnormal neurological examination, abnormal brain CT scan, and epileptiform discharges on the EEG.Results: The study group included 107 patients (59 men) aged 18 to 85 years (mean- 42 21). Ninety-seven (91%) patients were admitted following a presumed generalized tonic clonic seizure, and nine patients (9%) following a presumed focal seizure. Forty (37.4%) patients had risk factors which were not apparent upon emergency room evaluation (p=0.013). Seven (6.5%) patients had recurrent seizures during hospitalization.Conclusions: Risk factors for seizure recurrence were detected during hospitalization in more than a third of the patients who presented to the emergency room with a single unprovoked seizure.