Cefepime-induced encephalopathy: socio-clinical patterns and electroencephalographic findings

TL;DR

This study examines how cefepime, an antibiotic, can cause brain dysfunction and highlights the importance of EEG for diagnosis.

Contribution

The study identifies EEG patterns and clinical outcomes specific to cefepime-induced encephalopathy.

Findings

All EEGs showed generalized periodic discharges in cefepime-induced encephalopathy.

70.7% of cases met criteria for nonconvulsive status epilepticus.

85.3% of patients improved after cefepime was stopped.

Abstract

Cefepime is an antibiotic widely used for severe infections in hospital . However, its use can lead to encephalopathy, which is detected by electroencephalogram (EEG).

To establish the socioclinical pattern of cefepime encephalopathy and its correlation with EEG.

Forty-one medical records of patients diagnosed with cefepime-induced encephalopathy were analyzed according to the criteria established by Naranjo et al.,
1
with socioclinical parameters being evaluated.

All EEG tracings in the presence of cefepime-induced encephalopathy had generalized periodic discharges (GPD), and 70.7% of the exams met the criteria for a nonconvulsive status epilepticus. With the withdrawal of cefepime, 85.3% of patients had clinical improvement.

Encephalopathy caused by cefepime is a clinical manifestation that should be considered among patients using this antibiotic, with a wide spectrum of manifestations. The use of EEG imaging is critical for diagnosis.

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