Philadelphia’s health department issued an advisory after emergency departments reported an increase in the number of seizures.
For the Oct. 7 advisory, the department looked at the number of drug use-related emergency department visits that involved a chief complaint or diagnosis of seizures from 2020 to 2025. It found a 110% increase in drug use-related ED visits. The incidents increased from 1 in 50 to 1 in 40 in five years.
Health officials have not determined what is behind the surge, but said it could be related to changes in street drug supply, overdose-related brain injuries, untreated health infections or exposure to harsh environmental conditions.
The advisory recommends that clinicians screen for traumatic brain injury and provide guidance to patients regarding seizure risks.
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