CLINICAL SPECTRUM ANDETIOLOGY OF CHILDHOOD STATUS EPILEPTICUS IN A TEACHING HOSPITAL, KASHMIR, INDIA

Objective: The study aimed to ascertain clinicalspectrum and different etiologies of convulsive status epilepticus in children. Methods: Hospital based prospective observational study performed in department of Pediatrics in Children Hospital Government Medical College Srinagar Kashmir India from October 2020 to September 2022.Data were recorded with the help of a pre-formed proforma.

Results: In this study, 184 cases of status epilepticus were included. The infants (less than 1-year)accountfor 23.9% ofthetotalcases(n=184) and67.4% children were in the age group < 5 years. The total number of cases in the age group >10yrs was only 6.5%.Outof184children,malechildrenwere102(55.4%)andfemalechildrenwere82(44.6%).We found that 81.5%ofthecases of CSE reachedEmergency Room (ER)within30-60minutes after seizure initiation and18.5%reachedafter 60 minutes. Themostcommonetiologyassociatedwithstatusepilepticuswasremotecauses like post HIE or cerebral palsy, seen in 25.54% cases, followed by acute CNS infection in 18.45 cases (pyogenic meningitis 10.3%, viral encephalitis 4.9%, and tubercular meningitis 3.26%).

Conclusion: The outcome was better for patients who had less seizure duration and received early effective standard treatment protocol within a given time frame. The patients who had prolonged seizures or first treatment hadapoor outcome. Our study reveals that though we have successfully decreased the infant mortality rate, still there is large scope for decreasing morbidity by improving the neonatal care services across Kashmir and the  intact Neonate intact Nation should be our mission and passion. Furthermore, it seems very imperative that all patients of CSE should receive early effective standard treatment at doorsteps to decrease the associated morbidity and mortality.