Stroke: status epilepticus was uncommon

Clinical bottom line (level 2b)

  1. One in seven patients following a first stroke developed seizures.
  2. One in seventy patients with a first stroke developed status epilepticus.
  3. Poor functional status increased the risk of status epilepticus.
Velioglu et al: Stroke 2001; 32 : 1169-1172
Expires May 2004

The study

Retrospective cohort study with unblinded, unobjective outcomes, adjusted for confounding factors, not validated in an independent set of patients.

Setting: department of neurology, university hospital, Turkey

1174 patients (aged 17 to 103; mean 60, 58% male) with a first stroke

Excluded if
  • history of seizure
  • subarachnoid haemorrhage, hypertensive encephalopathy
  • head injury
  • cerebrovenous thrombosis


Factors studied:
  • age, sex, stroke type, cause, stroke risk factors, size or position of lesion
  • functional disability


Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding factors.

100% followed for days

Outcomes studied:
  • post-stoke first-time seizure
  • status epilepticus

    The evidence

    outcome time to outcome number of patients/total number %
    (95% CI)    		 NNF
    (95% CI)
    post-stoke first-time seizure days 161/1172 14%
    (12% to 16%)    		 7
    (6 to 8)
    status epilepticus days 17/1172 1.5%
    (0.77% to 2.1%)    		 69
    (47 to 130)

    prognostic factor for
    status epilepticus     		time to outcome control rate (%) adjusted OR
    (95% CI)
    functional disability ? /
    (%)     		4.37
    (1.54 to 12.42)

      Citation

      1. Velioglu SK, Ozmenoglu M, Boz C, et al: status epilepticus after stroke. Stroke 2001; 32 : 1169-1172
      Search Terms: from ACP Journal Club other articles noted
      Contributor: Chris Ball, May 2002
      Reviewer:

      Clinical Question.
      Patient first stroke
      Intervention or Exposure functional status
      Outcome status epilepticus