When Non-Epileptic Seizures Fool the Experts

Abstract

Even when non-epileptic seizures are correctly diagnosed, appropriate treatment recommendations may not be fully or correctly implemented. We present a case of a 17-year-old girl with frequent non-epileptic seizures who presented for frequent trips to the emergency room (ER) and was admitted to an inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Facility. Despite being informed that episodes were non-epileptic seizures, various staff and healthcare providers at the psychiatric hospital continued to send the patient to the ER to treat suspected epileptic seizures. We discuss possible reasons why this may have occurred, including psychosocial and emotional reactions of staff members to the episodes. This discussion may also help to explain the persistence of the patient's episodes. We also present options for minimizing the potential for future mismanagement of non-epileptic seizures.