When Intoxication Leads to Seizures: What Does the Emergency Department Reveal?
Ons EL MEJRI, Camilia JEDDI, Yosra AZZABI, Mohamed KILANI and Hafedh THABand
Seizures are an infrequent complication of intoxication, it may be caused by a wide range of drugs and toxins.This study aimed to describe the epidemiological and clinical profile of patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) following acute intoxication associated with a seizure.This was a retrospective study conducted over a 5 year period from October 2020 to September 2025, in the ED of Mahmoud Yaacoub Center for urgent medical assistance. We included patients aged from 14 and over who consulted for seizures after acute intoxication. Data regarding demographic, clinical history, characteristics of the intoxication type of molecule and presumed ingested dose, clinical presentation, consultation delay, seizures before or during the consultation and the anti-seizure treatment used and were collected and analyzed.A total of 68 patients were included, predominantly male (58.8%), with a median age of 29 years. Epilepsy history was present in 14.9%, with 55% discontinuing antiepileptic treatment. Substance misuse was reported in 39.7%, mainly cannabis (65.4%), pregabalin (46.2%), and cocaine (19%). Primary exposure routes were drug ingestion (63.2%) and carbon monoxide inhalation (29.4%). Causes included recreational use (33.8%), accidental intoxication (32.4%), and suicide attempt (25%). Main substances implicated included pregabalin, cannabis, carbamazepine, cocaine, and heroin. Most seizures (92.6%) occurred before consultation, with 93.7% resolving spontaneously; 10.3% experienced seizures during consultation. Initial clinical exams were generally stable. Regarding outcomes, 43.8% were admitted to intensive care, 31.3% discharged home, and 26.6% referred for follow-up, mostly to neurology and addiction services. Eleven patients (17.2%) referred to other EDs, and 4.7% left against medical advice.These findings show that intoxication associated with seizure occur mainly in the recreational substance use or carbon monoxide exposure, with most episodes resolving spontaneously before medical evaluation. This study highlight the need for improved prevention and monitoring of substances involved such as cannabis, pregabalin, and cocaine and also targeted neurological and addiction follow-up.Seizures noted before the consultation were reported in over half of the cases, and were significantly resolved spontaneously, while few patients experienced seizures during the consultation and required anti-epileptic treatment.
