Clinical Methods Supporting Recognition of Early Post-Stroke Seizures: A Systematic Scoping Review

BackgroundStroke is one of the commonest cause of seizures and epilepsy and is the leading cause of epilepsy over the age of 60 (1, 2). Post-stroke seizures and epilepsy are associated with increased mortality, disability and recurrent hospital admissions (3, 4). Seizures occurring in the immediate aftermath of the acute stroke can complicate a patients stroke diagnosis and management or can even go undiagnosed resulting in increased risk of mortality, disability and hospital readmissions. There is limited evidence on detection, observation, diagnosis and management of early post-stroke seizures as part of acute stroke treatment. ObjectivesThe objective of this series of scoping reviews is to map the extent and type of literature in relation to in-hospital early post-stroke seizures. For this paper, the specific objectives relate to the clinical methods used in the bedside identification and observation, usually performed by nurses, of early post-stroke seizures (EPSS) in adults being treated and managed for acute stroke. Eligibility criteriaParticipants included adults aged 18 years or older with acute ischaemic stroke or primary intracerebral haemorrhage and a diagnosis, or suspected diagnosis, of post-stroke seizures whilst receiving hospital care for their acute stroke. Sources of evidenceMedline, CINAHL, Embase, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched, including papers published up to October 2021, limited to English language. A broad range of published literature was selected comprising of primary research, including case studies/case reports, conference abstracts, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, clinical guidelines and consensus statements. Reference lists of included studies were also searched. Charting methodsA data charting table was developed by the reviewers, with key information selected for included articles. Findings have been aggregated to an overview of extent and type of evidence and identify gaps in evidence. ResultsWe included two research papers, two clinical guidelines and four discussion papers. There was limited literature on clinical methods used to identify and observe acute stroke patients for seizures. We found no evaluation of different methods aimed at recognising and observing EPSS, and subsequently recommendations lacking detail and consensus on clinical processes. ConclusionEarly post-stroke seizures are important to diagnose due to associated increases in post-stroke complications, mortality, disability and recurrent hospital admissions. Whilst the diagnostic challenge of EPSS is recognised, there is a need for research looking into how to improve the identification and observation of seizure activity in acute stroke settings.