Background: Acute symptomatic seizures (ASS), also known as reactive, triggered, or situation-related seizures, used to be described as a seizure that occurred at the time of or in close proximity to the occurrence of a recorded brain damage, seizures that occur within a short period of time after neurological or systemic assaults, and are therefore regarded to be a symptom of an acute disease affecting the brain in some way, shape, or form. After the active phase of central nervous system (CNS) infection or inflammatory disease has ended, based on persistent clinical, laboratory, or imaging finesse, a time window exists during which those acute seizures can be considered symptoms of an acute disease, and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) suggested that it is one week following stroke, head trauma, or anoxic encephalopathy. The therapy of ASS is different from that of unprovoked seizures, therefore antiepileptic treatment may be required in the acute phase, but it is rarely necessary long term because acute symptomatic seizures are unlikely to return unless the underlying acute causative disease develops once again.
Objective: To make an overview of new guidelines for treatment of most common causes of acute symptomatic seizures.
Conclusion: Acute symptomatic seizures are those caused by an acute general medical/surgical or neurological insult and generally tending not to recur with no need for long-term antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) treatment.