[Epileptic status in paediatric patients: its developmental consequences and an epidemiological update]

Epileptic status represents the most frequent neurological emergency in pediatrics. Prolonged febrile seizures represent the most common etiology. Our objective is to update its epidemiology and analyze its evolutionary consequences.

Observational analytical study of retrospective cohorts of children seen in the emergency department with epileptic status between January-2014 and December-2018. Demographic variables, personal history, clinical characteristics, complementary tests and the etiology of the epileptic status followed in our hospital were collected. The evolutionary consequences in terms of neurodevelopment and subsequent epilepsy were analyzed.

Of a total of 525,000 emergencies attended during the study, epileptic status cases were 79 in 68 patients (16 cases/100,000 children/year). The symptomatic etiology was the most frequent (35.4%). 20.6% of the patients had a history of prematurity, 30.8% had a deficit of previous neurodevelopment, this being more frequent in case of symptomatic etiology, and 44% were diagnosed with epilepsy. The median duration of seizures was 50 minutes. An acute brain trigger was identified in seven patients. The subsequent neurodevelopmental deficit attributable to epileptic status was 9.1% of patients related to symptomatic etiology and/or a history of prematurity. The development of epilepsy occurred in 10.7%.

The neurodevelopmental disorder attributable to epileptic status affects one in 11 cases. Prematurity was a risk factor per se. Post-epileptic status epilepsy developed in one in 10 cases.