[Status epilepticus in children. Study of 70 cases]

We presented the experience at the Emergency Unit of the National Institute of Pediatrics with children with Status Epilepticus (SE). This series studied 70 patients, the greatest frequency was seen among infants (55%), followed by preschool children (17%). The most frequent type of SE was generalized tonic clonic (54%) also being the most critical. The simple partial status or epilepsia partialis continua was found to be another frequent variety. In newborns babies the most common type of SE was generalized tonic. Sixty percent originated as acute process, their main causes were central nervous infections, ischemic-hypoxic encephalopathy, intracranial hemorrhages and intoxications. The remaining 40% were due to chronic processes, the most important was secondary epilepsy. Among these children the main cause was the irregular use of antiepileptic drugs. Other factors were intercurrent infections with fever, head trauma and hyponatremia. Only 12.8% of the cases were idiopathic. Fifteen percent of the SE were successfully treated with diazepam; 44% with phenytoin plus phenobarbital, in 34.2% we used generalized anesthesia with thiopental. In 33% of the acute cases os SE there were sequelae, there were nine deaths (12.8%) all of them with serious illness of the central nervous system.