Management of Acute Repetitive Seizures

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Activity Dates: 05/10/2021 - 04/20/2024

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Target Audience

This course is designed for pharmacists, nurse practitioners or other health care professionals involved in the comprehensive medication management of psychiatric and/or neurological patients.

Session Summary

Acute repetitive seizures (ARS), which are often labeled “cluster seizures”, are multiple seizure episodes that occur over a short amount of time and are different from a patient’s usual seizure frequency. In regards to diagnosing ARS, the specific number of seizure episodes (e.g., greater than 2, 3 or 4 episodes) within a specific time frame (e.g., within 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours) appears to vary according to the existing literature. The reported prevalence of ARS ranges widely from 20 to 50% in patients with epilepsy, but the syndrome continues to be underrecognized and undertreated. In addition, patients with ARS can have an increased morbidity and mortality. Management of ARS is often done in the outpatient setting and often involves family members or caregivers to administer rescue medications. In addition, new treatment modalities, particularly newer and better tolerated administration methods, have been studied in the recent years. Therefore, learning how to recognize and treat ARS with conventional and novel pharmaceuticals would benefit most pharmacists who work in a patient care setting.

Course Requirements

You will proceed through the following steps to satisfactorily complete this course:

  • Sign in (or create a FREE account).
  • Register for this course.
  • Review the full content of the activity and reflect upon its teachings.
  • Complete the post-test at the end of the activity no later than the closing activity date.
  • Complete the evaluation at the end of the activity.
  • If necessary, complete the post-test retest no later than the closing activity date.
  • Receive a passing grade (70%).
  • Provide the necessary details in your profile to ensure correct reporting by AAPP to CPE Monitor.

Upon successful completion, ACPE credit is reported within 24 hours to CPE Monitor although transcripts can be retrieved by participants online in their ACPE Transcript.

Faculty Information

Gretchen M. Brophy, PharmD, BCPS, FCCP, FCCM, FNCS

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Learning Objectives

  1. Assess a patient with epilepsy for risk factors and symptoms that meet clinical presentation for acute repetitive seizures (ARS) and status epilepticus (SE).
  2. Recommend an appropriate rescue treatment for a patient at risk for ARS and SE based on the clinical literature and specific patient factors.
  3. Educate patients with epilepsy and their caregivers on the administration and monitoring of treatments for ARS.

Continuing Education Credit and Disclosures

Activity Dates: 05/10/2021 - 04/20/2024
ACPE Contact Hours: 1
ACPE Number: 0284-0000-21-007-H01-P (Application)
Nursing Credit Reminder: Note that ACPE credit is accepted for ANCC Certification Renewal and AANPCB advanced practice provider content. For specific questions related to your organization's acceptance of ACPE continuing education units, please contact your organization directly.

ACPEThe College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education as a provider of continuing pharmacy education.

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