Seizure-Related Head Injuries: A Narrative Review

Abstract

Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological diseases. Epileptic seizures very often result in head injuries that may lead to many adverse consequences, both acute and chronic. They contribute to the need for hospitalization, modification of treatment, and a general decline in social productivity. The objective of our review is to characterize and assess management aspects of seizure-related head injuries (SRHIs) as an important and frequent clinical problem present in emergency department settings. PubMed and other relevant databases and websites were systematically searched for articles on traumatic brain injuries connected with the occurrence of seizures published from inception to 9 April 2024; then, we reviewed the available literature. Our review showed that SRHIs can lead to various acute complications, in some cases requiring hospitalization and neurosurgical intervention. Long-term complications and cognitive decline after injury might be present, eventually implying a negative impact on a patient’s quality of life. Despite being frequent and clinically important, there are still no widely accepted, uniform recommendations for the management of patients with SRHIs. As such, a concise and standardized protocol for the management of seizure-related head injuries in emergency departments is worth consideration.