Abstract
Diabetic patients have an increased risk of developing epileptic convulsions compared with the non-diabetic population. Generalised seizures may cause a severe, but self-correcting, lactic acidosis for which specific treatment is both unnecessary and potentially hazardous. Two cases of post-convulsive lactic acidosis occurring in diabetic patients are reported. The cause of the acidosis was confirmed only in retrospect in each case.
References
1.
Kreisberg
RA
. Lactate homeostasis and lactic acidosis
Ann Intern Med
1980 ; 92 : 227 –227 .
2.
Askenasy
JJ
Streifler
M
Carasso
R
. Moderate non-ketotic hyperglycaemia—a cause of focal epilepsy . Eur Neurol
1977 ; 16 : 51 –61 .
3.
Frommer
JP
. Lactic acidosis
Med Clin N Amer
1983 ; 67 : 815 –815 .
4.
Alberti
KGMM
Nattrass
M.
Lactic acidosis
Lancet
1977 ; ii : 25 –29 .
5.
Zilva
JF
. The origin of the acidosis in hyperlactataemia
Ann Clin Biochem
1978 ; 15 : 40 –40 .
6.
Cohen
RD
Woods
HF
. Lactic acidosis revisited . Diabetics
1983 ; 32 : 181 –91 .
7.
Orringer
EH
Eustace
JC
Wunsch
CD
Gardner
LB
. Natural history of lactic acidosis after grandmal seizures
N Engl J Med
1977 ; 297 : 296 –296 .
8.
Park
R
Arieff
AI
. Lactic acidosis: current concepts . Clin Endocrinol Metab
1983 ; 12 : 339 –58 .
9.
Cohen
RD
. Disorders of lactic acid metabolism . Clin Endocrinol Metab
1976 ; 5 : 613 –25 .