Super Refractory Status Epilepticus Secondary to Salmonellosis: A Case Report

Abstract

The term super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) refers to status epilepticus (SE) that lasts for 24 hours or longer after the administration of anesthetic agents, including situations in which the status epilepticus recurs after the anesthetic agent is reduced or removed. Status epilepticus is most frequently brought on by acute brain damage or insult. It can also occur as a primary idiopathic disorder in patients without an established epilepsy diagnosis and refer to as new-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE). The etiology of SRSE is multifaceted, and the majority of the time, after rigorous investigations, the root cause is discovered within 24-72 hours. The etiology can be attributed to autoimmune, paraneoplastic, and infectious origins in more than 50% of cases. In the example presented here, non-typhoidal salmonellosis led to the development of SRSE in a 22-year-old female patient, and the infection was resistant to a variety of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The patient was given numerous anti-epileptic medications (AED), anesthetic drugs, and then culture-specific antibiotics. These treatments eventually stopped the seizures, which momentarily resulted in great clinical improvement.