Dilated and unreactive pupils and burst-suppression on electroencephalography due to buproprion overdose.

Jyoti Pathria Mundi, Jaime Betancourt, Omar Ezziddin, Brandie Tremayne, Tamara Majic, Zab Mosenifar

Department of Internal Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.

Journal of intensive care medicine 2012 Nov-Dec

filter terms:

Burst-suppression pattern on electroencephalography (EEG) occurs upon dissociation of the cortex from underlying brain structures. Unless the pattern is a physiologic consequence of administered sedatives, this electroencephalographic pattern is indicative of a poor neurologic outcome and high mortality. We report a case of a 29-year-old female thought to be brain dead based on initial physical examination and EEG findings of burst-suppression, who was later found to have supratherapeutic serum levels of bupropion. This is the second documented case of burst-suppression pattern on EEG in a patient who overdosed on bupropion. We propose that burst-suppression in the setting of bupropion toxicity may revert with drug clearance.

Citation

Jyoti Pathria Mundi, Jaime Betancourt, Omar Ezziddin, Brandie Tremayne, Tamara Majic, Zab Mosenifar. Dilated and unreactive pupils and burst-suppression on electroencephalography due to buproprion overdose. Journal of intensive care medicine. 2012 Nov-Dec;27(6):384-8