Delayed Diagnosis of an Invisible Seizure: Cefepime-Induced Non-convulsive Status Epilepticus

Cefepime-induced non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) is a recognized adverse event of cefepime. Risk factors for this adverse event include older age, underlying renal dysfunction, previous brain injury, diabetes, and severe infection. We present a case of a 79-year-old woman with no prior seizure history, who was admitted for Pseudomonas aeruginosa surgical wound infection for which she was on cefepime. She developed acute encephalopathy with associated, occasional, right-sided myoclonic facial twitches 11 days into her admission. Electroencephalogram (EEG) confirmed NCSE as evident by epileptiform activity described as generalized periodic discharges with predominantly triphasic morphology. Cefepime was substituted with piperacillin-tazobactam> 24 hours after symptom onset. NCSE completely resolved two days after the discontinuation of cefepime. This case highlights the fact that NCSE can occur even when precautions such as renal dosing of cefepime are observed. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion for the condition when taking care of at-risk patients on cefepime, as delayed diagnosis correlates with potentially fatal outcomes.