Epidemiology of status epilepticus in adults: A population ‐based study on incidence, causes, and outcomes

We present the first population‐based incidence study applying the new 2015 ILAE definition and classification of SE and report the impact of the evolution of semiology and level of consciousness (LOC) on outcome.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective population ‐based incidence study of all adult patients with SE residing in the city of Salzburg between January 2011 and December 2015. Patients with hypoxic encephalopathy were excluded. SE was defined and classified according to the ILAE 2015.ResultsWe identified 221 patients with a median age of 69  years (range 20‐99 years). The age‐ and sex‐adjusted incidence of a first episode of SE, NCSE, and SE with prominent motor phenomena (including CSE) was 36.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.2‐48.5), 12.1 (95% CI 6.8‐20.0), and 24.0 (95% CI 16.0‐34.5; including CSE 15.8 [95% CI 9.4‐2 4.8]) per 100 000 adults per year, respectively. None of the patients whose SE ended with or consisted of only bilateral tonic–clonic activity died. In all other clinical presentations, case fatality was lower in awake patients (8.2%) compared with patients with impaired consciousness (33%).SignificanceThis first population ‐based study using the ILAE 2015 definition and classification of SE found an increase of incidence of 10% compared to previous definitions. We also provide epidemiologic evidence that different patterns of status evolution and LOCs have strong prognostic implications.

Source: Epilepsia - November 26, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Markus Leitinger, Eugen Trinka, Giada Giovannini, Georg Zimmermann, Cristina Florea, Alexandra Rohracher, Gudrun Kalss, Caroline Neuray, Rudolf Kreidenhuber, Julia H öfler, Giorgi Kuchukhidze, Claudia Granbichler, Judith Dobesberger, Helmut Tags: FULL ‐LENGTH ORIGINAL RESEARCH Source Type: research