Abstract
Purpose: Status epilepticus (SE) is an uncommon but potentially life- threatening seizure. It is most common in children. Little is known about the differences within the pediatric age group in terms of the type of patient seen with SE. Methods: We analyzed the records of 394 children aged 1 month to 16 years who were part of two large studies of pediatric SE conducted in Bronx, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The 394 children had a mean age of 4.4 years and included 349 (89%) with an initial episode of SE; Results: Status epilepticus was most common in younger children with >40% of cases occurring in those younger than 2 years. The distribution of causes was highly age dependent. More than 80% of children younger than 2 years had SE of febrile or acute symptomatic origin, whereas cryptogenic and remote symptomatic causes were most common in older children (p < 0.001). One hundred fifty-eight (40%) of the cases were known to be previously neurologically abnormal, including 35 (21%) of 169 younger than age 2 years and 123 (55%) of 225 older than 2 years (p < 0.001). One hundred seventy seven (45%) children had a history of seizures including 142 (41%) of the 349 children with a first episode of SE. A history of seizures was present in 34 (20%) of those younger than 2 years and 143 (64%) of those older than 2 years (p < 0.001). The effect of age remained significant even when the analysis was limited to those with SE of cryptogenic or remote symptomatic origin. Conclusions: There is a strong effect of age on the frequency and etiology of SE, as well as on the type of child who has SE. In young children, SE occurs primarily in children who are neurologically normal and with no history of unprovoked seizures. In older children, SE occurs primarily in those who are known to have prior unprovoked seizures and who are often also neurologically abnormal.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 907-914 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Epilepsia |
| Volume | 38 |
| Issue number | 8 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1997 |
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Keywords
- Children
- Epilepsy
- Etiology
- Seizure
- Status epilepticus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Neuroscience(all)
Cite this
In whom does status epilepticus occur : Age-related differences in children. / Shinnar, Shlomo; Pellock, John M.; Moshe, Solomon L.; Maytal, Joseph; O'Dell, Christine; Driscoll, Susan M.; Alemany, Marta; Newstein, David; DeLorenzo, Robert J.
In: Epilepsia, Vol. 38, No. 8, 1997, p. 907-914.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - In whom does status epilepticus occur
T2 - Age-related differences in children
AU - Shinnar, Shlomo
AU - Pellock, John M.
AU - Moshe, Solomon L.
AU - Maytal, Joseph
AU - O'Dell, Christine
AU - Driscoll, Susan M.
AU - Alemany, Marta
AU - Newstein, David
AU - DeLorenzo, Robert J.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - Purpose: Status epilepticus (SE) is an uncommon but potentially life- threatening seizure. It is most common in children. Little is known about the differences within the pediatric age group in terms of the type of patient seen with SE. Methods: We analyzed the records of 394 children aged 1 month to 16 years who were part of two large studies of pediatric SE conducted in Bronx, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The 394 children had a mean age of 4.4 years and included 349 (89%) with an initial episode of SE; Results: Status epilepticus was most common in younger children with >40% of cases occurring in those younger than 2 years. The distribution of causes was highly age dependent. More than 80% of children younger than 2 years had SE of febrile or acute symptomatic origin, whereas cryptogenic and remote symptomatic causes were most common in older children (p < 0.001). One hundred fifty-eight (40%) of the cases were known to be previously neurologically abnormal, including 35 (21%) of 169 younger than age 2 years and 123 (55%) of 225 older than 2 years (p < 0.001). One hundred seventy seven (45%) children had a history of seizures including 142 (41%) of the 349 children with a first episode of SE. A history of seizures was present in 34 (20%) of those younger than 2 years and 143 (64%) of those older than 2 years (p < 0.001). The effect of age remained significant even when the analysis was limited to those with SE of cryptogenic or remote symptomatic origin. Conclusions: There is a strong effect of age on the frequency and etiology of SE, as well as on the type of child who has SE. In young children, SE occurs primarily in children who are neurologically normal and with no history of unprovoked seizures. In older children, SE occurs primarily in those who are known to have prior unprovoked seizures and who are often also neurologically abnormal.
AB - Purpose: Status epilepticus (SE) is an uncommon but potentially life- threatening seizure. It is most common in children. Little is known about the differences within the pediatric age group in terms of the type of patient seen with SE. Methods: We analyzed the records of 394 children aged 1 month to 16 years who were part of two large studies of pediatric SE conducted in Bronx, New York, and Richmond, Virginia. The 394 children had a mean age of 4.4 years and included 349 (89%) with an initial episode of SE; Results: Status epilepticus was most common in younger children with >40% of cases occurring in those younger than 2 years. The distribution of causes was highly age dependent. More than 80% of children younger than 2 years had SE of febrile or acute symptomatic origin, whereas cryptogenic and remote symptomatic causes were most common in older children (p < 0.001). One hundred fifty-eight (40%) of the cases were known to be previously neurologically abnormal, including 35 (21%) of 169 younger than age 2 years and 123 (55%) of 225 older than 2 years (p < 0.001). One hundred seventy seven (45%) children had a history of seizures including 142 (41%) of the 349 children with a first episode of SE. A history of seizures was present in 34 (20%) of those younger than 2 years and 143 (64%) of those older than 2 years (p < 0.001). The effect of age remained significant even when the analysis was limited to those with SE of cryptogenic or remote symptomatic origin. Conclusions: There is a strong effect of age on the frequency and etiology of SE, as well as on the type of child who has SE. In young children, SE occurs primarily in children who are neurologically normal and with no history of unprovoked seizures. In older children, SE occurs primarily in those who are known to have prior unprovoked seizures and who are often also neurologically abnormal.
KW - Children
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Etiology
KW - Seizure
KW - Status epilepticus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030793739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030793739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1997.tb01256.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1997.tb01256.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 9579892
AN - SCOPUS:0030793739
VL - 38
SP - 907
EP - 914
JO - Epilepsia
JF - Epilepsia
SN - 0013-9580
IS - 8
ER -