Immediate outcome and risk factors determining the outcome of status epilepticus in children attending tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Status epilepticus (SE) is a paediatric and neurological medical emergency, continuous seizure lasting more than 30 min, or two or more seizures without full recovery of consciousness between any of them. Determination of immediate outcome of SE in children in a tertiary care hospital and to identify the risk factors influencing the outcome was the objectives of the present study.Methods: A study was conducted in Dept of Pediatrics, Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital among the children from 1 month to12 years of age, who had admitted for SE in hospital’s pediatric causality from October 2009 to October 2010 were selected for the study.Results: Out of 92 patients, total 87 patients completed the study and out of those 74 have recovered and 13 have died. The risk factors significantly affecting the outcome were hypoxia at the time of arrival, decompensated shock, respiratory failure requiring intubation and acidosis.Conclusions: Proper prehospital therapy, early referral, proper care while transporting, anticipitating risk factors involved, and protocol based approach uniformly at all hospital can reduce the mortality due to status epilepticus in children.