Authors :
Gulbudin Muhammad, MD – University of Toledo
Jamie Stout, MD – University of Toledo
Presenting Author: Saba Tariq, MD – University of Toledo
Mehmood rashid, MD – University of Toledo
Irum Hina, MD – University of Toledo
Mariam noor, MD – University of Toledo
Ajaz Sheikh, MD – University of Toledo
Naeem Mahfooz, MD – University of Toledo
Rationale: Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Dogs, trained or not, can detect seizures, likely through olfactory detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). While trained dogs typically respond calmly, untrained dogs may react aggressively to unfamiliar scents. This, combined with the impaired awareness of children during seizures, increases their vulnerability to dog bites. This report presents two pediatric cases highlighting the risk of dog attacks in children with epilepsy, emphasizing the need for awareness and caution.
Methods: N/A
Results:
A 5-year-old male with no history of epilepsy was attacked by his babysitter’s new pit bull. The dog bit the right side of his face and left side of his throat. Immediately following the attack, the patient developed his first seizure, which consisted of staring into space. Subsequently, the patient experienced frequent staring episodes, diagnosed as absence seizures as confirmed by an EEG that showed 3 Hz spike-and-wave activity. Because the first seizure occurred soon after the dog bite, there is concern that the dog was responding to pre-epileptic VOCs with aggression.
A 9-year-old female with a history of focal and generalized epilepsy as confirmed by EEG that showed Generalized sharp waves, polyspikes and spike and waves, diagnosed at age 6, sustained a facial bite from a friend’s husky-chow dog. Shortly after the attack, the patient had a seizure. Despite her history of epilepsy, there was no indication that the dog bite directly exacerbated her condition. However, it raised concerns that the dog may have sensed the seizure onset.
Conclusions: Children with epilepsy face a dual risk when interacting with dogs unfamiliar to them: dogs can detect seizure onset, and children may be unable to protect themselves due to confusion during seizures. These cases stress the importance of keeping unfamiliar dogs around epilepsy patient in tight vigilance or a leash until they get familiar with the patient. Caregivers must be aware of the risks and take proactive steps to reduce hazards. Further research is needed to develop guidelines for managing these risks in children with epilepsy.
Funding: NONE