A case of seizure-related bradycardia and asystole

Cardiac arrhythmias are frequently seen with epileptic seizures and their occurrence has been proposed as a possible cause for sudden unexpected death in patients with epilepsy. Reported is a case of a 32-year-old man who presented to the emergency department (ED) following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure and subsequently developed sinus bradycardia and asystole following a second, witnessed tonic-clonic event. This case illustrates the potential for life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias in patients with seizures. The importance of hemodynamic monitoring in seizure patients while they are in the ED is emphasized. (Am J Emerg Med 1998;16:582-584. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company).