Clinical features of convulsive status epilepticus: a study of 220 cases in western China.

Background and purpose: Convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) is the most commonand life-threatening form of status epilepticus (SE). The aim of this study was todescribe the clinical features of CSE in western China.Methods: Convulsive status epilepticus patients hospitalized from January 1996 toOctober 2007 were prospectively observed. Logistic regression was used to identifypredictors of prognosis.Results: TheaverageageofCSEpatients(n = 220)was37.5 years(SD20.31),50%ofthe patients had a history of epilepsy. The primary cause of CSE was central nervoussystem infection (32.7%), followed by discontinuation or reduction of antiepilepticdrugs (AEDs; 15.5%). The median duration of CSE was 5 h and median duration ofseizures before treatment was 2 h; both were longer in rural patients than in urbanpatients (P < 0.05). The fatality rate on discharge was 15.9%. Logistic regressionanalysisshowedthedurationofCSE[oddsratio(OR)1.05,95%confidenceinterval(CI)1.03–1.07], a history of epilepsy (OR 0.35, 95% CI 0.14–0.89), and respiratory depres-sion (OR 5.96, 95% CI 2.49–14.24) were independent predictors of CSE prognosis.Discussion: Central nervous system infection and AEDs withdrawal in epilepsy pa-tients were the most important causes of CSE. There is a large gap between antiepi-leptic therapy in China and European Status Epilepticus guidelines.