Role of comorbidities and in-hospital complications in short-term status epilepticus outcome

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2017 Mar:154:13-18. doi: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2016.12.017. Epub 2016 Dec 30.

Abstract

Objective: pre-morbid patient conditions and hospitalization complications possibly play a role in status epilepticus short-term outcome, although evidence is incomplete and non-conclusive. The study's aim was to define whether comorbidities and in-hospital complications arising after status epilepticus affect its prognosis.

Methods: A retrospective single center study was carried out. All selected patients were adults presenting an EEG-proven status epilepticus episode between 2003 and 2014. Medical charts were comprehensively reviewed. In-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay represented study outcomes.

Results: One hundred seventy-three subjects met the inclusion criteria. Seventy-one cases (41%) developed infections and 59 (34%) non-infectious complications. Median hospital stay was 16days and overall in-hospital mortality was 44%. Multivariate analysis revealed the association between in-hospital mortality and the following comorbidities: history of diabetes mellitus (Odds ratio=7.89, p=0.002) and evidence of extracranial malignancy (Odds ratio=10.28, p=0.009). Complications were not associated to death after multivariate statistics, which instead displayed systemic inflammatory response syndrome significance (Odds ratio=12.90, p<0.001). Infections and non-infectious complications were associated with longer hospital stay (p=0.025 and p=0.01 respectively).

Conclusions: status epilepticus management is a multifaceted problem.

Results: suggest that some pre-morbid patient conditions and in-hospital adverse events play an unfavorable prognostic role. This preliminary information may help clinicians optimize preventive and therapeutic strategies to guarantee patients the best chances of survival.

Keywords: Diabetes; EEG; Etiology; Modified Rankin scale; SIRS; Tumor.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bacterial Infections* / epidemiology
  • Comorbidity
  • Diabetes Mellitus* / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Hospital Mortality*
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasms* / epidemiology
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Status Epilepticus / diagnosis*
  • Status Epilepticus / epidemiology
  • Status Epilepticus / mortality
  • Young Adult