HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) CME: Take the course for this article: Volume 60, Number 3, February 11, 2003 Correspondence: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Correspondence are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Strauss, D. J. Articles by Wu, Y. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Strauss, D. J. Articles by Wu, Y. W. Related Collections Status epilepticus All Epilepsy/Seizures Generalized seizures

Remote symptomatic epilepsy

Does seizure severity increase mortality?

From the University of California Life Expectancy Project (Drs. Strauss, Day, and Shavelle), San Francisco; and the Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics (Dr. Wu), University of California at San Francisco.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Steven M. Day, 1439 17th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94122-3402; e-mail: Day{at}LifeExpectancy.com

Objective: To investigate the excess mortality due to remote symptomatic epilepsy, taking account of frequency and type of seizures.

Methods: The authors compared mortality in persons with (n = 8,156) and without (n = 72,526) history of epilepsy in a 1988 to 1999 California population of persons with mild developmental disabilities. Subjects had traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, or no identifiable condition. There were 506,204 person-years of data, with 1,523 deaths. Excess death rates and standardized mortality ratios were computed for the persons in the study with epilepsy, relative to those in the study without epilepsy. Controlled comparisons were made using logistic regression on person-years.

Results: Compared to subjects with no epilepsy, the excess mortality was six (deaths per 1,000 persons per year) for persons with a recent (<12 months) history of status epilepticus, five for a recent history of generalized tonic-clonic seizure, three for a recent history of nonconvulsive seizures, and less than one for a history of epilepsy but no recent events. Proportion in remission and excess mortality showed no change over the 12-year study period.

Conclusions: Persistent seizures are associated with increased mortality in remote symptomatic epilepsy. Mortality is highest among individuals with status epilepticus or generalized convulsions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. M. Day, Y. W. Wu, D. J. Strauss, R. M. Shavelle, and R. J. Reynolds Causes of death in remote symptomatic epilepsy Neurology, July 26, 2005; 65(2): 216 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Racoosin Mortality in epilepsy: Searching for clues in populations and patients Neurology, February 11, 2003; 60(3): 363 - 364. [Full Text] [PDF]