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SUDEP among young adults in the San Diego County Medical Examiner Office
Author(s) -
Karlovich Esma,
Devinsky Orrin,
Brandsoy Michael,
Friedman Daniel
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/epi.16443
Subject(s) - epilepsy , medical examiner , medicine , cause of death , pediatrics , sudden death , young adult , drug overdose , poison control , injury prevention , psychiatry , emergency medicine , gerontology , disease
Excess mortality due to epilepsy is greatest among young adults. However, the relative proportions of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) and other epilepsy‐related causes of death are not well defined. We prospectively adjudicated cause of death in all 18‐ to 45‐year‐olds with a history of seizure/epilepsy who underwent medicolegal investigation in San Diego County between 2014 and 2017. We identified 108 decedents with definite or probable epilepsy; 62% died from an epilepsy‐related cause. SUDEP accounted for 42.6% (N = 46) of deaths, which were usually unwitnessed deaths, at home in bed. Other frequent causes of death were drug overdose (N = 23), suicide (N = 8), trauma (N = 8), and drowning (N = 6). SUDEP autopsies were similar to those of decedents from other causes. Most deaths in young adults with epilepsy that undergo medico‐legal investigation are epilepsy‐related, and SUDEP is the leading cause. Improved seizure control can potentially save many lives.