Morbidity of nonfebrile status epilepticus in Rochester, Minnesota, 1965-1984.

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=1), 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.