Introduction

Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurologic emergency that is associated with significant morbidity and mortality (36–38, 41, 61–63, 126). It occurs most commonly in children and can occur either as part of an established seizure disorder or in the context of an acute illness (22, 36–38, 41, 61–63). In more than 50% of cases there is no prior history of seizures (41, 62, 118). The incidence and etiology are highly age dependent (36–38, 87, 118). In the last 30 years there has been a dramatic decline in the morbidity and mortality from childhood SE. This chapter reviews the available epidemiologic data on childhood SE. The discussion includes the incidence of childhood SE, the causes and their age-dependent distributions, the specific populations at risk for an episode of SE, the morbidity and mortality from SE, and long-term sequelae of childhood SE. The long-term sequelae considered in the chapter include cognitive deficits in children who have an episode of SE. Finally, the chapter reviews what is known of the prognosis following SE as a first unprovoked seizure, febrile SE, and its association with subsequent epilepsy and recurrent SE.