Antiepileptic and anesthetic drugs in the intensive care unit. Their impact on non-convulsive status epilepticus mortality.

Background: Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency. Non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) can only be diagnosed by electroencephalogram (EEG) because the motor clinical symptoms are usually subtle or absent, with high mortality. The best treatment is still unknown.

Objectives: Our aim was to assess anticonvulsive and anesthetic drugs in NCSE and their correlation with Epidemiology-based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE), Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) and mortality.

Methods: Retrospective, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study. Ninety patients in intensive care unit over 18 years-old (57 females [63.3%] and 33 males [36.6%], mean age 63.5 years [SD ± 19]) with NCSE, at the Buenos Aires British Hospital. Data was collected between January 2018 and June 2021. An adjusted multivariate statistical analysis was performed. Ninety-five (95%) CI, p < 0.05 as statistically significant. EMSE and STESS were used in this study.

Results: Total mortality rate was 37.8% (34/90), and in patients = 65 years-old (54/90) it was 40.7% (22/54). Patients with 0-2 STESS (11/90) were discharged, while those with STESS = 3 (79/90) had a 43% death rate (34/79). Patients with EMSE < 34 (27/90) had 7.4% (2/27) death rate, while those with EMSE = 34 (63/90) had 50.8% (32/63). No significant differences were found in survival with regard to the number of antiepileptic drugs administered. Patients treated with anesthetics presented a 2.6-fold death risk increase (95% CI 1.001-6.83).

Discussion: It could be assumed that mortality rate increases 2.6-fold when patients are treated with anesthetic drugs, regardless of the number of antiepileptic drugs previously administered.