Ketogenic Diet May Help Adults with FIRES Seizures

Source: Infection and drug resistance

Summary

This study looked at five adults with Febrile Infection-Related Epilepsy Syndrome (FIRES), a serious condition that causes severe seizures after a fever. The patients, who were treated at Shanxi Bethune Hospital, had a median age of 32 years and all experienced ongoing seizures despite taking multiple medications. The researchers wanted to see how effective a ketogenic diet (KD) would be in managing their seizures and to understand the timing and safety of this treatment.

The key findings showed that the ketogenic diet helped reduce seizures in these patients. After starting the diet, most patients achieved a state of ketosis within two days, and significant seizure reduction was noted within three days. By the time they were discharged from the hospital, most patients had improved scores on a scale measuring their recovery. However, some patients experienced side effects, such as diarrhea and low protein levels, but these issues were managed successfully.

This research is important because it suggests that the ketogenic diet may be a helpful treatment option for adults with FIRES, a condition that currently has few effective therapies. However, the study is limited by the small number of patients, which means more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the long-term effects of the diet. Larger studies could provide better insights into how well the ketogenic diet works for this serious condition.

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