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Status epilepticus

Prevalence
Causes
Clinical features
Investigations
Therapy
Prognosis
Prognosis

Patients are at increased risk of dying if b
  • seizures continue for >1 hour
  • they become hypoxic
  • they are old 

Why?

Seizures lasting over an hour, anoxia and increasing age increase the risk of dying

Patient Prognostic Factor Outcome CER OR
(95% CI)		 NNF+
(95% CI)
status epilepticus b seizure duration > 1 hour
independent 		death
at 30 days 		2.0%
(0.3% to 2.7%) 		9.79
(2.14 to 44.9)		 7
(2 to 46)
  anoxia
independent 		    3.66
(1.47 to 9.09)		 20
(7 to 110)
  age (per 10 years)
independent 		    1.39
(1.06 to 1.81)		 130
(65 to 860)

Expiry date: September 2004
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Author   RS   Phillips, CM   Ball
Reviewer   S   Straus
CAT Writer   RS   Phillips, C   Wotton, CM   Ball