Several combinations of ictal and interictal EEG abnormalities have previously been identified in partial status epilepticus (PSE). Some are associated with a consistently higher seizure index than others. On-line analysis of the initial segments of the EEG monitoring and familiarization with seizure indices corresponding to each combination may provide useful clues to rapidly foretell short-term seizure recurrence in patients with PSE. Referring to matrices reconstructed from an analysis of the initial min of the monitoring in 64 patients with recorded PSE can help to identify quickly those patterns which are most often associated with the highest probability of relapsing seizures. Awareness of the probability range of recording additional seizures observed with each of these various patterns may provide guidelines for judicious patient enrollment and for meaningful assessment of results in prospective studies of treatment efficacy in PSE.