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Postictal psychosis in a psychiatric pacient, about a case

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

M. V. López Rodrigo*
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Spain
M. Palomo Monge
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Spain
A. Osca Oliver
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Spain
V. Ros Fons
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Spain
F. Tascón Guerra
Affiliation:
Psiquiatría, Hospital Nuestra Señora del Prado, Talavera de la Reina, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Postictal psychosis is the most frequent psychosis in epileptic patients, appearing between 3-8% of them. As temporary criteria, it must appear in less than a week after the epileptic crisis, with a duration of between 15 hours and 3 months.

Objectives

We present the case of an 82-year-old patient admitted to the ED due to an epileptic seizure. Request evaluation for agitation and disorientation.

Methods

This is an 82-year-old patient diagnosed with epilepsy for 5 years, with unwitnessed seizures, under treatment with levetirazetam. In the last consultation with neurology, the differential diagnosis was raised with anxiety crises due to normal intercritical EEG.The patient went to the emergency room after a partial crisis, presenting a post-critical state and beginning hours later with disorientation in time and place, manifesting delusions of religious content, as well as visual hallucinations of the same type, presenting agitation that required pharmacological and mechanical restraint.

Results

Admission to the Neurology Service was decided, with a good response to treatment with a typical intramuscular antipsychotic, with complete remission of the condition in 48 hours. Small areas of ischemia compatible with the patient’s age are observed in the cranial CT and the EEG shows slowed global activity.

Conclusions

Postictal psychosis is a phenomenon of low prevalence, however, it is important to take it into account. It is important to recognize the postictal “lucid” period in patients with a family or personal history of psychiatric illness and seizures with compromised consciousness.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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