Status epilepticus is a rare and sometimes fatal condition.

About 60 percent of those with this super-refractory status epilepticus (SRSE) die, making it the most dangerous type of seizure. This type of status epilepticus can occur whether or not a person has a history of having seizures.

Earlier this year, researchers at Johns Hopkins conducted a small trial. They considered the Ketogenic diet to be a safe yet effective option for treatment.

The diet is a high in fat and low in carbohydrates and is a “feasible” option for those with SRSE. The Ketogenic diet is known to work in about one-third of patients with epilepsy that have a resistance to anti-seizure medication. It’s thought to be effective because it is almost like fasting. It alters the excitability of the brains nerve cells.

The diet was given to patients via a feeding tube for 72 hours. This was while they were still in a medically induced coma.

To conclude, six out of 11 patients finished the Ketogenic diet and then started a modified Atkins diet. As a result, the status epilepticus did not return in any of the patients who finished the diet.

Researchers believe that the Ketogenic diet works to stop status epilepticus, and it can decrease the amount of seizures a patient has.

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