Frequency of Early Seizures in Patients of Acute Ischemic Stroke

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is the most common neurological disorder and leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Post stroke seizures are not uncommon complication of stroke, if remain untreated it may increase the rate of mortality in stroke patients. OBJECTIVE: Aim of this study is to determine the frequency of early seizures (ES) among patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke at a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS & METHODS: Descriptive case series study, conducted at Department of neurology (SMBBMU) Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University Hospital, Larkana for a Period of six months. A total number of 155 patients were enrolled according to inclusion and criteria. RESULTS: Among 155 patients 103 patients (66.45%) were in 6th decade of life. Male patients were higher in frequency 89(57.42%) than female 66 (42.58%) patients. The mean age (+/- SD) of patients was 55.38 (+/- 5.66) years with range of 39-65 years. At presentation, the mean duration (+/- SD) of stroke was 3.59 (+/- 1.94) days. Mean time (+/- SD) lapsed between stroke and occurring of seizure was 3.09 (+/- 2.98) days with range of 0-9 days. Mean duration (+/- SD) of seizures was 3.27 (+/- 1.95) minutes. In this study 11(7.1%) patients of ischemic stroke have early seizures occurrence and frequency of male 9(10.1%) patients is higher as compared to female patients 2 (3%) Patients with male gender, elder age, longer stroke to fit duration and rural living patients were more prone to this complication of acute ischemic stroke. CONCLUSION: The early onset seizures in ischemic stroke patients is not common, however when occurs increases morbidity.