Long-term mortality after a first episode of status epilepticus

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate long-term mortality among people with status epilepticus (SE). METHODS: The authors performed a population-based retrospective cohort study to determine long-term mortality after SE. Between January 1, 1965, and December 31, 1984, all first episodes of SE receiving medical attention were ascertained through the Rochester Epidemiology Project Records-Linkage System. Cases surviving the first 30 days (n = 145) were followed until death or study termination (February 1996). RESULTS: At 10 years, cumulative mortality among 30-day survivors was 43%. The standardized mortality ratio (SMR) at 10 years was 2.8 (95% CI, 2.1-3.5). The mortality rate of those with idiopathic/cryptogenic SE was not increased (SMR = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.5-2.3). The following characteristics of SE increased long-term risk for mortality: SE > or = 24 hours in duration vs. SE < 2 hours (relative risk [RR] = 2.3; 95% CI, 1.1-5.1); acute symptomatic etiology vs idiopathic/cryptogenic etiology (RR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.0-5.1) SE; myoclonic SE vs generalized convulsive SE (RR = 4.0; 95% CI, 1.3-13). CONCLUSION: Forty percent of subjects who survived the first 30 days after an incident episode of SE die within the next 10 years. The long-term mortality rate was threefold that of the general population over the same time period. The long-term mortality rate at 10 years was worse for those with myoclonic SE, for those who presented with SE lasting more than 24 hours, and for those with acute symptomatic SE. The long-term mortality rate was not altered in those with idiopathic/cryptogenic SE. We conclude that SE alone does not modify long-term mortality.     

Prognosis of status epilepticus: role of aetiology, age, and consciousness impairment at presentation

BACKGROUND: Identification of outcome-predictive factors could lower risk of under- or over-treatment in status epilepticus (SE). Older age and acute symptomatic aetiology have been shown to predict mortality, but other variables are controversial and level of consciousness has received relatively little attention. The objective of this study was to assess variables predictive of mortality, particularly those available at presentation. METHODS: The discharge database (1997-2004) of two university hospitals was screened for adult patients with EEG confirmed SE, excluding cerebral anoxia. Outcome at discharge (mortality, return to baseline clinical conditions) was analysed in relation to demographics, clinical features, and aetiology. Aetiologies were also classified based on whether or not they were potentially fatal independently of SE. RESULTS: Mortality was 15.6% among 96 patients with a first SE episode, 10 of whom also experienced recurrent SE during the study period. Eleven other patients had only recurrent SE. Mortality was 4.8% among these 21 patients with recurrent SE. Return to baseline condition was more frequent after recurrent than incident SE (p=0.02). For the first SE episode, death was associated with potentially fatal aetiology (p=0.01), age>or=65 (p=0.02), and stupor or coma at presentation (p=0.04), but not with gender, history of epilepsy, SE type, or time to treatment>or=1 h. CONCLUSIONS: At initial evaluation, older age and marked impairment of consciousness are predictive of death. Surviving a first SE episode could lower the mortality and morbidity of subsequent episodes, suggesting that underlying aetiology, rather than SE per se, is the major determinant of outcome.     

Long-term survival in patients with status epilepticus: A tertiary referral center study

Purpose:   To determine long-term survival in patients with status epilepticus (SE).
Methods:   We prospectively followed patients admitted for the first (69.6%) or recursive episode of SE between January 1, 1989 and December 31, 1997 at the Institute of Neurology, Belgrade, Serbia, until death or study termination (December 31, 2006). Data were obtained for cause of death; etiology of SE—acute symptomatic (AS), progressive symptomatic (PS), remote symptomatic (RS), and idiopathic/cryptogenic (I/C); presence of epilepsy; and reoccurrence of SE. Standardized mortality rate (SMR), survival, and regression analysis were used.
Results:   A total of 120 of 750 patients with an episode of SE (15.9%) died in the 30-day period following SE. Data for 207 of 630 (32.8%) surviving patients (35.7% with initial SE) were available at the end of follow-up [median 12 years; 95% confidence interval (CI) 11.1–12.8]. SMR was significantly increased (SMR = 1.81; 95% CI 1.32–2.41). There were 46 deaths (22.2%): 15 of 65 in the AS, 20 of 29 in the PS, 6 of 29 in the RS, and 5 of 75 in the I/C groups. Five-year survival rate was lowest in the PS (45%) compared to AS (91%), RS (87%), and I/C (99%) groups. The following characteristics increased long-term risk for mortality: older age [Exp(B) 1.05, 95% CI 1.029–1.072], PS and AS etiology [Exp(B) 15.6, 95% CI 5.8–41.6; 3.3, 95% CI 1.2–9.1], presence of epilepsy [Exp(B) 2.3, 95% CI 1.2–4.3], and initial SE [Exp(B) 2.4, 95% CI 1.4–4.4].
Discussion:   Approximately one of five patients die within 12 years after an episode of SE. Symptomatic SE (PS and AS), initial SE, age, and presence of epilepsy are associated with long-term increased risk of death.     

Short-term clinical outcome after acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism

Though studies have identified clinical variables that predict adverse events in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE), they have typically not differentiated short-term from long-term predictors. This multicenter prospective cohort study included consecutive outpatients with objectively confirmed symptomatic acute PE. We analyzed the incidence and time course of death, venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence, and major bleeding, and we compared event rates during short-term (first week) and long-term (3 months) follow-up after the diagnosis of PE. We also assessed risk factors for short-term mortality. During the first three months after diagnosis of PE, 142 of 1,338 (10.6%) patients died. Thirty-six deaths (2.7%) occurred during the first week after diagnosis of PE, and 61.1% of these were due to PE. Thirty-eight patients (2.8%) had recurrent VTE during the three-month follow-up, though none of the recurrences occurred during the first week after diagnosis of PE. During the three-month follow-up, major bleeding occurred in 48 patients (3.6%). Twenty-one (1.6%) major bleeds occurred during the first week of follow-up, and nine of these were fatal. Short-term mortality was significantly increased in patients who initially presented with systolic arterial hypotension (odds ratio [OR] 3.35; 95% CI, 1.51-5.41) or immobilization due to a medical illness (OR 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-6.39). In conclusion, during the first week after the diagnosis of PE, death and major bleeding occur more frequently than recurrent VTE. Patients with systolic arterial hypotension and immobilization at the time of PE diagnosis had an increased risk of short-term mortality.     

Convulsive Status Epilepticus in Children

Summary: Status epilepticus (SE) occurs most commonly in infancy and childhood. Children with prior neurological abnormalities are most susceptible. More than 90% of cases are convulsive and the majority are generalized. SE may occur in the setting of an acute illness, in patients with established epilepsy or as a first unprovoked seizure. The etiology can be classified as idiopathic, remote symptomatic, febrile, acute symptomatic, or associated with a progressive encephalopathy. The morbidity and mortality of status have dramatically declined in recent years. Overall mortality in recent pediatric series was 3–10%, with almost all fatalities associated with acute central nervous system insults or progressive neurologic disorders. Neurological sequelae in children with idiopathic or febrile status are rare. Neurologically normal children with SE as their first unprovoked seizure have the same risk of experiencing subsequent seizures of any type as children who present with a brief first seizure. The risk of recurrent episodes of convulsive SE approaches 50% in neurologically abnormal children but is very low in neurologically normal children. The favorable outcome of SE in children may be related to advances in therapy and to the resistance of the immature brain to damage from seizures.     

Status epilepticus without an underlying cause and risk of death: a population-based study

OBJECTIVE: To determine the independent effect of status epilepticus (SE) on risk of death. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. The increased risk of death after SE has been largely ascribed to the underlying medical condition. It is unknown whether SE itself affects risk of death. We address this question by studying idiopathic/cryptogenic SE. SETTING: Population-based study. PARTICIPANTS: We identified all incident idiopathic/cryptogenic unprovoked seizures in the population of Rochester, Minnesota, from January 1, 1955, through December 31, 1984, and observed them until death, loss to follow-up, or the end of the study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We compared the risk of death in those with a brief unprovoked seizure (<30 minutes) with risk of death in those with an unprovoked seizure of 30 minutes or longer (SE), using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression. The standardized mortality ratio was also determined. RESULTS: We ascertained 291 people with a first brief unprovoked seizure and 16 with SE. There were 27 deaths among people with seizure and 5 deaths (all aged > 65 years) among people with SE. Compared with people with seizure, the adjusted relative risk for death in those with SE was 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.9-6.3) over 10 years. It was increased 5-fold (relative risk, 5.1; 95% CI, 1.6-15.7) among those older than 65 years and 6-fold among those with SE who later developed epilepsy (relative risk, 6.3; 95% CI, 1.5-26.0). Compared with the general population, the standardized mortality ratio was 2.6 (95% CI, 0.8-5.3) for SE and 1.2 (95% CI, 0.8-1.6) for a first seizure of short duration. CONCLUSION: Idiopathic/cryptogenic SE was associated with an increased risk of death among elderly persons and those who later developed epilepsy.     

Short-Term Mortality After a First Epileptic Seizure: A Population-Based Study

PURPOSE: To determine the short-term mortality in a prospective incidence cohort of patients included after any kind of first afebrile epileptic seizure (i.e., provoked and unprovoked). METHODS: Information on death occurring within the first year of follow-up was collected in a cohort of 804 patients with a first seizure between March 1, 1984, and February 28, 1985, in southwest France. The variables analyzed were the etiology of seizure, cause of death, interval between seizure and death, and age of patients. RESULTS: By the end of the 1-year follow-up, there were 149 deaths among these patients as compared with 16 expected deaths [standardized mortality ratio (SMR), 9.3; 95% confidence interval (CI), 7.9-10.9]. There were no deaths in patients with idiopathic seizures. Patients with cryptogenic seizures had slightly increased mortality (SMR, 1.6; 95% CI, 0.4-4.1). Mortality was increased for patients with remote symptomatic seizures (SMR, 6.5; 95% CI, 3.8-10.5), provoked seizures (SMR, 10.1; 95% CI, 8.1-12.4), and seizures due to a progressive neurologic condition (SMR, 19.8; 95% CI, 14.0-27.3). Causes of death were underlying pathology (64%), unrelated condition (20%), unknown cause (9%), seizure-related death (6%), and one suicide. CONCLUSIONS: Early mortality clearly differed according to the etiology of the first seizure. The highest mortality was associated with provoked seizures and with seizures caused by progressive central nervous system disorders. Patients died far more often from underlying or unrelated conditions than from seizures.     

Is a first acute symptomatic seizure epilepsy? Mortality and risk for recurrent seizure

Purpose:   To compare mortality and subsequent unprovoked seizure risk in a population-based study of acute symptomatic seizure and first unprovoked seizure due to static brain lesions.
Methods:   We ascertained all first episodes of acute symptomatic seizure and unprovoked seizure due to central nervous system (CNS) infection, stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Subjects were residents of Rochester, Minnesota, identified through the Rochester Epidemiology Project's records-linkage system between 1/1/55 and 12/31/84. Information was collected on age, gender, seizure type, etiology, status epilepticus (SE), 30-day and 10-year mortality, and subsequent episodes of unprovoked seizure.
Results:   Two hundred sixty-two individuals experienced a first acute symptomatic seizure and 148 individuals experienced a first unprovoked seizure, all due to static brain lesions. Individuals with a first acute symptomatic seizure were 8.9 times more likely to die within 30 days compared to those with a first unprovoked seizure [95% confidence intervals (CI) = 3.5–22.5] after adjustment for age, gender, and SE. Among 30-day survivors, the risk of 10-year mortality did not differ. Over the 10-year period, individuals with a first acute symptomatic seizure were 80% less likely to experience a subsequent unprovoked seizure compared with individuals with a first unprovoked seizure [adjusted rate ratio (RR) = 0.2, 95% CI = 0.2–0.4].
Discussion:   The prognosis of first acute symptomatic seizures differs from that of first unprovoked seizure when the etiology is stroke, TBI, and CNS infection. Acute symptomatic seizures have a higher early mortality and a lower risk for subsequent unprovoked seizure. These differences argue against the inclusion of acute symptomatic seizures as epilepsy.     

Mortality and causes of death after first ischemic stroke: the Northern Manhattan Stroke Study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the early and long-term causes of death after first ischemic stroke in the multiethnic northern Manhattan community. METHODS: In the prospective, population-based Northern Manhattan Stroke Study, 980 patients with first ischemic stroke (mean age 70 years; 56% women; 49% Caribbean Hispanic, 31% black, 20% white) were followed for a mean of 3 years. Causes of death were classified as vascular (incident stroke, recurrent stroke, cardiac) or nonvascular. Life table analyses were used to assess mortality risks among different race-ethnic groups. Early (< or =1 month) vs long-term (> 1 month to 5 years) causes of death were compared. RESULTS: Among the 980 patients followed, 278 (28%) died; 47 (5%) died during the first month. Cumulative mortality risk was 5% at 1 month, 16% after 1 year, 29% after 3 years, and 41% after 5 years. The proportion of vascular deaths among all deaths was 75% at 1 month and 43% thereafter (p = 0.001). Stroke, either incident (53%) or recurrent (4%), caused early deaths in 57% and long-term deaths in 14% (p = 0.001). Overall mortality risks did not differ significantly among race-ethnic groups. However, the proportion of incident stroke-related early deaths was 85% in Caribbean Hispanic patients, 33% in white patients, and 25% in black patients (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with first ischemic stroke, incident stroke is the leading cause of early deaths. A large proportion of long-term deaths are nonvascular in origin. Despite similar overall mortality rates in race-ethnic groups, our data suggest a higher incident stroke-related early mortality among Caribbean Hispanics.     

Alzheimer disease and mortality: a 15-year epidemiological study

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer disease (AD) is considered a leading cause of death, but few studies have examined the contribution of AD to mortality based on follow-up of representative US cohorts. OBJECTIVE: To examine mortality rates, duration of survival, causes of death, and the contribution of AD to the risk of mortality in an aging community-based cohort, controlling for other predictors. DESIGN: Fifteen-year prospective epidemiological study. Mortality rates per 1000 person-years and the population-attributable risk of mortality were determined. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate relative risk of mortality due to AD, adjusting for relevant covariates. Death certificates were abstracted for listed causes of death. SETTING: A largely blue-collar rural community in southwestern Pennsylvania. PARTICIPANTS: A community-based cohort of 1670 adults 65 years and older at study enrollment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Mortality. RESULTS: In the overall cohort, AD was a significant predictor of mortality, with a hazard ratio of 1.4 after adjusting for covariates. The population-attributable risk of mortality from AD was 4.9% based on the same model. Examining the sexes separately, AD increased mortality risk only among women. Death certificates of AD subjects were more likely to list dementia/AD, other brain disorders, pneumonia, and dehydration, and less likely to include cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Alzheimer disease was responsible for 4.9% of the deaths in this elderly cohort. Alzheimer disease increased the risk of mortality 40% in the cohort as a whole and separately in women but not in men. The mean (SD) duration of survival with AD was 5.9 (3.7) years, and longer with earlier age at onset.     

New-onset acute symptomatic seizure in a neurological intensive care unit

OBJECTIVE: New-onset acute symptomatic seizures can be the presenting feature of acute neurological diseases. The etiological spectrum of new-onset acute symptomatic seizures and outcome may be different in developing countries when compared to developed countries. AIM: To study the clinical profile of new-onset acute symptomatic seizures as the first presenting event in patients with acute neurological illness in a neurological intensive care unit (NICU) in a developing country. Settings and Design: Prospective study in a NICU in a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with acute symptomatic new-onset seizure admitted to NICU in a tertiary care hospital over a period of 28 months. The etiology was determined by neuroimaging and appropriate investigations including cerebrospinal fluid examination. RESULTS: Of the 3,151 admissions, 66 (2.1%) were related to new-onset acute symptomatic seizures as the first presentation. The mean age was 49.07 + 20.20 years. Tonic-clonic, generalized tonic-clonic or partial seizure with or without secondary generalization were the seizure type. At presentation 52 (79%) patients had single seizure, 10 (15%) patients had seizure clusters and four (6%) patients presented with status epilepticus (SE). The major etiological risk factors were central nervous system (CNS) infections (32%), metabolic disorders (32%) and cerebrovascular diseases (21%). In the NICU 10 (15%) patients had early seizure recurrence and three (4.5%) developed SE. Of these 13 patients, in nine (69%) patients the pathology was infection-related and the other commonality was involvement of cortical gray matter. Factors associated with seizure recurrence or SE were focal cerebral lesions involving cortical gray matter or diffuse cerebral pathology, meningoencephalitis. In 69% of these patients the pathology was infection-related. There were only two deaths, both in patients with SE and related to the underlying etiology. CONCLUSION: The risk of seizure recurrence and SE after the first acute symptomatic seizure is likely to be high in patients with acute focal cerebral lesions and diffuse CNS infections. The commonality in both the pathologies is cortical gray matter involvement.     

Risk of unprovoked seizure after acute symptomatic seizure: Effect of status epilepticus

We asked whether acute symptomatic status epilepticus (SE) increases the risk for subsequent unprovoked seizure compared with less prolonged acute symptomatic seizure. We also explored whether the risk of unprovoked seizure differs by cause. We ascertained all first episodes of acute symptomatic seizure among residents of Rochester, Minnesota, through the Rochester Project's records-linkage system. Information was collected on seizure duration, age, sex, cause, and subsequent unprovoked seizure. At 10 years of follow-up, the risk of unprovoked seizure was 41% for those with acute symptomatic seizure with SE and 13% for those without SE. Controlling for age, sex, and cause, SE increased the risk for subsequent unprovoked seizure 3.3-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.8–6.1) compared with brief acute symptomatic seizures. Among patients with SE, the risk of unprovoked seizure was increased 18.8-fold for patients with anoxic encephalopathy, 7.1-fold for patients with a structural cause, 3.6-fold for patients with a metabolic cause. The increased risk for unprovoked seizure after SE compared with shorter seizures may be due to SE being a marker for severity of injury, damage caused by SE, or a biological substrate associated with the tendency to experience SE.     

Mortality in the First 30 Days Following Incident Acute Symptomatic Seizures

Summary:  Purpose: Very little is known about short-term mortality after acute symptomatic seizure. One study found an increased mortality in the first year after acute symptomatic seizure, like mortality following acute symptomatic status epilepticus.
Methods: We studied mortality in the first 30 days after an acute symptomatic seizure in two cohorts. In Washington Heights, New York City, we reviewed the medical records of all adults aged 20 years and older seen at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center from January 1, 1990 through December 13, 1994 to identify incident acute symptomatic seizure. In Rochester, Minnesota, the medical records of all Rochester residents were reviewed to identify incident acute symptomatic seizure from January 1, 1965 through December 31, 1984. Case fatality (CF) and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated for deaths in the first 30 days.
Results: A total of 323 adults were identified in Washington Heights and 428 in Rochester. The CF was 20% in both cohorts. CF was greatly increased in the people aged 65 years and older (28.4% in Washington Heights and 40.5% in Rochester) versus younger individuals (17.7% in Washington Heights and 11.2% in Rochester). In both cohorts, the SMR was greatly increased overall (102.1 in Washington Heights and 149.4 in Rochester), and separately for males, females, all etiologies except head trauma in Washington Heights, and younger individuals. In older individuals, the SMR was increased in Washington Heights but not in Rochester.
Conclusion: Acute symptomatic seizures are associated with increased mortality in the first 30 days. It is unknown how seizures contribute to this mortality or whether mortality is due solely to the underlying medical condition.     

High Early Suicide Risk in Elderly Patients After Self-Poisoning

This article reports the findings of a follow-up study of suicide mortality in elderly patients after an index episode of self-poisoning. A total of 222 consecutive patients (143 female) aged 65 years or older (mean age 76.5 years; range 65–100) presenting at the emergency department of the Karolinska University Hospital after self-poisoning during 1994–2000, were followed up for the cause of death by January 1, 2006. Survival analysis was applied to study suicide and death risk. Of the 15 suicides, 13 (87%) occurred during the first year after the index episode of self-poisoning (cumulative suicide risk 6.2%). The risk of dying of all causes during the first year was increased fourfold. Self-poisoning in both elderly men and women is associated with high early suicide risk.     

Short-term outcomes of children with febrile status epilepticus

Febrile status epilepticus (SE) represents the extreme end of the complex febrile seizure spectrum. If there are significant sequelae to febrile seizures, they should be more common in this group. We have prospectively identified 180 children aged 1 month to 10 years who presented with febrile SE over a 10-year period in Bronx, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. They were compared with 244 children who presented with their first febrile seizure (not SE) in a prospective study done in the Bronx. The mean age of the children with febrile SE was 1.92 years, and of the comparison group, 1.85 years. Duration of SE was 30-59 min in 103 (58%), 60-119 min in 43 (24%), and > or =120 min in 34 (18%). Focal features were present in 64 (35%) of cases. There were no deaths and no cases of new cognitive or motor handicap. Children with febrile SE were more likely to be neurologically abnormal (20% vs. 5%; p < 0.001), to have a history of neonatal seizures (3% vs. 0; p = 0.006) and a family history of epilepsy (11% vs. 5%; p = 0.05) and less likely to have a family history of febrile seizures (15% vs. 27%; p = 0.01) than were children in the comparison group. The short-term morbidity and mortality of febrile SE are low. There are differences in the types of children who have febrile SE compared with those who experience briefer febrile seizures. Long-term follow-up of this cohort may provide insight into the relationship of prolonged febrile seizures and subsequent mesial temporal sclerosis.     

Morbidity of Nonfebrile Status Epilepticus in Rochester, Minnesota, 1965–1984

Summary: Purpose : To analyze the nonfatal adverse events (AE) associated with a first episode of status epilepticus (SE).
Methods : We performed a population-based retrospective cohort study to determine the morbidity of SE. Participants included 184 residents of Rochester, Minnesota who experienced nonfebrile SE between 1965 and 1984.
Results : The etiology of SE was acute symptomatic in 100 patients and unprovoked in 84 patients. The most common seizure-types were continuous partial (n = 56, 30%), generalized convulsive (n = 52, 28%). and generalized with focal features (n = 32, 17%). Morbidity related to SE was noted in 5 of the 146 patients (3.4%) surviving 30 days. The AE included hemiparesis (n = 3), encephalopathy (n = 2), mental retardation (n = l), and aphasia (n = 1). All patients with morbidity had an acute symptomatic (n = 4) or remote symptomatic (n = 1) etiology. Thirty-four patients (18.5%) had a second episode of SE.
Conclusions : Based on this retrospective study, significant morbidity related to SE is uncommon and is associated with the underlying etiology.     

Status epilepticus in a population-based Virginia twin sample

PURPOSE: To characterize status epilepticus (SE) and estimate its frequency of first occurrence, as well as to assess the contribution of genetic factors to risk of SE occurrence in a sample of Virginia-born twins ascertained from the population-based Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry. METHODS: The occurrence of SE was determined in 13,506 unselected Virginia-born twin pairs ascertained from birth records. Twins included in the study were between ages 2 and 75 years when surveyed. History of seizures and SE was validated through medical records and by detailed personal or parental interviews. RESULTS: Among 381 twins included in 332 pairs with a verified history of seizures, 70 (18.4%) were validated to have had at least one episode of SE. The frequency of first SE in this sample was 309 per 100,000 twins. First SE occurred in conjunction with 21 of 158 febrile and 49 of 223 afebrile seizure cases, respectively. Mean length of SE episode was 76.2 +/- 14.9 min. Age at first SE occurrence ranged from 2 months to 59 years. All concordant twin pairs in the sample were monozygotic (MZ), with a proband-wise concordance rate estimated for SE in this population of 0.31 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.14-0.52) overall, and 0.67 (95% CI, 0.35-0.90) in pairs concordant for epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a direct estimate of the frequency of SE in a defined population of twins and afford further evidence for a genetic contribution to risk for SE.     

Status epilepticus in children with epilepsy: Dutch study of epilepsy in childhood

PURPOSE: To study course and outcome of epilepsy in children having had a status epilepticus (SE) as the presenting sign or after the diagnosis. METHODS: A total of 494 children with newly diagnosed epilepsy, aged 1 month through 15 years, were followed prospectively for 5 years. RESULTS: A total of 47 Children had SE. Forty-one of them had SE when epilepsy was diagnosed. For 32 (78%), SE was the first seizure. SE recurred in 13 out of 41 (32%). Terminal remission at 5 years (TR5) was not significantly worse for these 41 children: 31.7% had a TR5 <1 year versus 21.2% of 447 children without SE. They were not more often intractable. Five out of six children with first SE after diagnosis had a TR5 <1 year. Mortality was not significantly increased for children with SE. Independent factors associated with SE at presentation were remote symptomatic and cryptogenic etiology, and a history of febrile convulsions. Children with first SE after inclusion more often had symptomatic etiology. CONCLUSIONS: Although we find a trend for shorter TR5 in children with SE at presentation, outcome and mortality are not significantly worse. Etiology is an important factor for prognosis. Children with SE during the course of their epilepsy have a worse prognosis and a high recurrence rate of SE. This outcome is not due to the SE itself, but related to the etiology and type of epilepsy. The occurrence of SE is just an indicator of the severity of the disease.     

Are brief febrile seizures benign? A systematic review and narrative synthesis

Febrile seizures affect 2%–5% of U.S. children and are considered benign although associated with an increased risk of epilepsy and, rarely, with sudden unexplained death. We compared rates of mortality, neurodevelopmental disorders, and neuropathology in young children with simple and complex febrile seizures to healthy controls. We systematically reviewed studies of 3- to 72-month-old children with simple or complex febrile seizures ≤30 min. We searched studies with outcome measures on mortality, neurodevelopment, or neuropathology through July 18, 2022. Bias risk was assessed per study design. Each outcome measure was stratified by study design. PROSPERO registration is CRD42022361645. Twenty-six studies met criteria reporting mortality (11), neurodevelopment (11), and neuropathology (13), including 2665 children with febrile seizures and 1206 seizure-free controls. Study designs varied: 15 cohort, 2 cross-sectional, 3 case–control, 5 series, and 1 case report. Mortality outcomes showed stark contrasts. Six cohort studies following children after febrile seizure (n = 1348) reported no deaths, whereas four child death series and 1 case report identified 24.1% (108/449) deaths associated with simple (n = 104) and complex (n = 3) febrile seizures ≤30 min. Minor hippocampal histopathological anomalies were common in sudden deaths with or without febrile seizure history. Most electroencephalography (EEG) studies were normal. Neuroimaging studies suggested increased right hippocampal volumes. When present, neurodevelopmental problems usually preexisted febrile-seizure onset. Risk bias was medium or high in 95% (18/19) of cohort and case–control studies vs medium to low across remaining study designs. Research on outcomes after simple or brief complex febrile seizures is limited. Cohort studies suffered from inadequate sample size, bias risk, and limited follow-up durations to make valid conclusions on mortality, neurodevelopment, and neuropathology. Sudden death registries, focused on a very small percentage of all cases, strongly suggest that simple febrile seizures are associated with increased mortality. Although most children with febrile seizures have favorable outcomes, longer-term prospective studies are needed.     

The Iowa record-linkage study. III. Excess mortality among patients with 'functional' disorders

Our investigation of the pattern of mortality among former inpatients in nine diagnostic groups was based on deaths found among 4,869 former inpatients of the University of Iowa Psychiatric Hospital, Iowa City, during a ten-year period. Comparisons were made with expected values based on a relevant Iowa control population. The first two years of follow-up was a period of great risk but not after. Excessive mortality from "unnatural" causes was found among patients of either sex with an affective disorder, schizophrenia, alcohol or other drug abuse, and personality disorders, among men with acute schizophrenia or neuroses, and among women with depressive neuroses. Women with acute schizophrenia or a psychophysiologic disorder or special symptom were at risk for a "natural" death. These findings confirm the risk of reduced life span that patients in all nine categories share.