Senator Edward M. Kennedy was briefly hospitalized yesterday after suffering a seizure, triggering worry throughout the political world as the nation's leading liberal battles a malignant brain tumor.
Kennedy was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital after authorities received an emergency 911 call at 5:12 p.m. from the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port reporting he was feeling ill, said Barnstable police Sergeant Ben Baxter. He said Kennedy was alert and conscious when emergency crews arrived.
Kennedy's representatives released a statement last night, saying, "Doctors believe the incident was triggered by a change in medication. Senator Kennedy will return home tonight and looks forward to watching the debate."
Kennedy was adamant about returning home in time to see last night's presidential debate, which began at 9 p.m., said a Kennedy associate who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of Kennedy's illness. The senator returned home by 8 p.m., according to Melissa Wagoner, family spokeswoman.
The associate said that Kennedy received a brief phone call last night from Senator John F. Kerry expressing concern and that they discussed the debate and the preparations for it in Mississippi. Kennedy was one of the first high-profile figures to publicly endorse Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.
Last night, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, mentioned Kennedy during the debate, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the lion of the Senate."
The associate said that doctors told Kennedy that seizures will become more common as he battles the brain tumor and that they were adjusting his antiseizure medication.
The associate said Kennedy was now feeling better, and "everything was mild."
It is not uncommon for patients with brain cancer to suffer seizures intermittently, said Dr. Deepa Subramaniam, director of the Brain Tumor Center at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
"Even for those patients whose tumors have been completely taken out, you still have an area of their brain that remains abnormal for the rest of their lifetime," Subramaniam said.
The region of the brain where Kennedy's tumor was located - pivotal to speech and movement - is especially prone to seizures.
Subramaniam, who does not have direct knowledge of Kennedy's condition, said seizures can be triggered by a number of factors. After surgery, the brain can be left susceptible to the electrical malfunctioning that is the hallmark of a seizure.
Additionally, changes in medication can spark a seizure.
A seizure most often manifests as trembling of the hands and legs; in other cases, it can result in a sensation of blinking lights or cause an abnormal smell sensation.
"The seizure by itself in the brain doesn't cause permanent damage," Subramaniam said. "They are usually temporary events."
Once the immediate medical problem has subsided, doctors typically adjust a patient's medication to reduce the prospect of future seizures.
(...)
Kennedy was rushed by ambulance to Cape Cod Hospital after authorities received an emergency 911 call at 5:12 p.m. from the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port reporting he was feeling ill, said Barnstable police Sergeant Ben Baxter. He said Kennedy was alert and conscious when emergency crews arrived.
Kennedy's representatives released a statement last night, saying, "Doctors believe the incident was triggered by a change in medication. Senator Kennedy will return home tonight and looks forward to watching the debate."
Kennedy was adamant about returning home in time to see last night's presidential debate, which began at 9 p.m., said a Kennedy associate who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of Kennedy's illness. The senator returned home by 8 p.m., according to Melissa Wagoner, family spokeswoman.
The associate said that Kennedy received a brief phone call last night from Senator John F. Kerry expressing concern and that they discussed the debate and the preparations for it in Mississippi. Kennedy was one of the first high-profile figures to publicly endorse Senator Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination.
Last night, Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, mentioned Kennedy during the debate, saying, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to the lion of the Senate."
The associate said that doctors told Kennedy that seizures will become more common as he battles the brain tumor and that they were adjusting his antiseizure medication.
The associate said Kennedy was now feeling better, and "everything was mild."
It is not uncommon for patients with brain cancer to suffer seizures intermittently, said Dr. Deepa Subramaniam, director of the Brain Tumor Center at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, D.C.
"Even for those patients whose tumors have been completely taken out, you still have an area of their brain that remains abnormal for the rest of their lifetime," Subramaniam said.
The region of the brain where Kennedy's tumor was located - pivotal to speech and movement - is especially prone to seizures.
Subramaniam, who does not have direct knowledge of Kennedy's condition, said seizures can be triggered by a number of factors. After surgery, the brain can be left susceptible to the electrical malfunctioning that is the hallmark of a seizure.
Additionally, changes in medication can spark a seizure.
A seizure most often manifests as trembling of the hands and legs; in other cases, it can result in a sensation of blinking lights or cause an abnormal smell sensation.
"The seizure by itself in the brain doesn't cause permanent damage," Subramaniam said. "They are usually temporary events."
Once the immediate medical problem has subsided, doctors typically adjust a patient's medication to reduce the prospect of future seizures.
(...)
Yesterday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation - which Kennedy had pioneered - giving aid to state and local law enforcement to help address the needs of nonviolent mentally ill offenders. The law authorizes $50 million in grants to law enforcement agencies.
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