AI Article Synopsis
- Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is often overlooked by the medical community, despite being a common seizure-related death.
- Identified risk factors include being male, aged 20-40, not sticking to medication regimens, using multiple drugs, and having brain lesions.
- A study reviewed 24 adult cases, finding that poor adherence to anti-epileptic medication and ages 20-29 were prominent risk indicators, with most victims collapsing unwitnessed at home.
Article Abstract
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy is a common form of seizure-related death but is poorly appreciated by the medical profession. A number of risk factors have been identified in this context including male gender, young adult age group (20-40 years), poor compliance with antiepileptic drugs, polytherapy, and presence of neuropathological lesions. In addition it has been noted that most of the victims sustained an unwitnessed collapse at home. In this paper, we describe a retrospective review of 24 adult cases of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. The study recognizes two risk factors; poor compliance with anti-epileptic monotherapy and an age between 20 and 29 years. All the victims were found dead at home and only one had a witnessed collapse. Our study shows a variety of neuropathological findings as the etiology. The completeness of the autopsy findings for all the cases is a strength compared to some of the other studies.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12024-011-9263-4 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!