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Overall mortality was 2.2% in children after a first unprovoked afebrile seizure

Clinical impact ratings Neurology Paediatrics

Key Words: epilepsy • seizures

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

METHODS
Design: inception cohort followed for mean 14 years.

Setting: 3 medical centres in Bronx, New York, USA.

Patients: 407 children who were 1 month to 19 years of age {mean age at first seizure 6.8 y}^* with a first unprovoked afebrile seizure. 68 (17%) had initial seizure of remote symptomatic aetiology and 339 (83%) had initial seizure of cryptogenic or idiopathic aetiolgy.

Prognostic factors: no prognostic factors included.

Outcomes: overall mortality and sudden unexplained death in epilepsy.

MAIN RESULTS
9 children (2.2%) died. 5 deaths were classified as definitely or probably unrelated to epilepsy. 4 deaths were classified as possible or probable sudden unexplained deaths in epilepsy, with all 4 children having previous seizures and anticonvulsant use at the time of death.

CONCLUSION
In children with a first unprovoked afebrile seizure, 9 children (2.2%) died, 4 of whom had deaths classified as possible or probable sudden unexplained deaths in epilepsy.

^* Data reported in . . . [Full text of this article]

Howard S Kirshner, MD

Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
>Nashville, Tennessee, USA