Metabolic changes in epileptic patients experiencing seizure during fasting in the Ramadan

Abstract

Objectives: Fasting during the month of Ramadan can lead to changes in the electrolyte balance and hematocrit. We compared the metabolic states of epilepsy patients who presented to the emergency department following a seizure, either when fasting during the month of Ramadan or during non-fasting periods. Methods: The study included 20 consecutive patients who experienced an epileptic seizure while fasting during the month of Ramadan in 2010 and 20 additional patients who experienced a seizure while not fasting. All patients were seen at the emergency room in the Ankara Training and Research Hospital. Venous blood gas, complete blood count, kidney function tests, sodium, potassium, chloride, blood glucose and a full urinalysis were measured in all patients. The patients were followed for approximately 12 hours. Results: No statistically significant differences were observed between the fasting group and control group in terms of the average age of the patients and gender distribution. No significant differences were observed in the blood pH, anion gap, osmolarity or base deficit (p>0.05). The ketone level was significantly higher in the urine of the fasting group (p<0.047). Conclusions: There was no significant difference found in metabolic state of fasting epilepsy patients and the control group. The only significant difference was the higher level of ketones in fasting epilepsy patients compared to the control group.