Etiology, treatment efficacy, and outcome were studied retrospectively in 65 children treated for status epilepticus at Tampere University Hospital, Finland. Symptomatic causes were present in 40%, and fever was associated in 37%. Neurologic sequelae occurred in 15% and epilepsy in 23%. Mean follow-up was 3.6 years. Status epilepticus lasting 120 minutes caused major long-term neurologic morbidity. Short barbiturate anesthesia aborted status in less than 2 hours in 75% of cases. [1]
COMMENT. These authors advocate the early and prompt use of barbiturate anesthesia in status epilepticus if first-line drugs are ineffective.