ICTAL-INTERICTAL CONTINUUM

Course overview

THE ICTAL-INTERICTAL CONTINUUM (IIC) REFERS TO ANY RHYTHMIC OR PERIODIC ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC (EEG) PATTERN WITH FEATURES CONCERNING AN ONGOING SEIZURE BUT NOT MEETING FORMAL ELECTROGRAPHIC CRITERIA TO BE DEFINITIVELY CHARACTERIZED AS ICTAL. THESE PATTERNS ARE COMMONLY IDENTIFIED IN CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS AND PRESENT A DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE WITH SIGNIFICANT CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS. PATTERNS LYING ALONG AN IIC MAY ARISE FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CONDITIONS INVOLVING BOTH FOCAL AND DIFFUSE CEREBRAL PATHOLOGIES. BECAUSE THIS PATTERN MAY CONFER THE SAME NEUROLOGICAL RISKS AS NON-CONVULSIVE STATUS EPILEPTICUS, PROMPT EVALUATION IS NECESSARY TO OPTIMIZE CLINICAL OUTCOMES. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF IIC PATTERNS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE HEALTHCARE TEAM'S ROLE IN ASSESSING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.