Premature mortality in active convulsive epilepsy in Kenya

This study was conducted in the Kilifi region of Kenya that covers a population of more than 233,300 people.¹ At the first stage of the study a survey of the heads of households were asked 2 questions to identify potential family members with active convulsive epilepsy.¹ At the second stage, those who had been identified completed a more detailed epilepsy screening tool and evaluation by an epilepsy specialist healthcare provider.¹ Participants were followed-up until death or censored if they had migrated out of the area.¹ The cause of death was ascertained from the bereaved relatives, as death certificates are destroyed after the funeral in this region.¹ The most common reported cause of death was status epilepticus or prolonged seizures, followed by SUDEP.¹

Reference:

1.Ngugi AK, Bottomley C, Fegan G, et al. Premature mortality in active convulsive epilepsy in rural Kenya: causes and associated factors. Neurology 2014;82 (7): 582–589.