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Pediatric convulsive status epilepticus in Honduras, Central America
Author(s) -
Molinero Marco R.,
Holden Kenton R.,
Rodriguez Luis C.,
Collins Julianne S.,
Samra Jose A.,
Shinnar Shlomo
Publication year - 2009
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/j.1528-1167.2009.02266.x
Subject(s) - status epilepticus , medicine , epilepsy , pediatrics , psychiatry
Summary Convulsive status epilepticus (SE) in children is an important public health problem, particularly in low‐resource countries. A surveillance study was performed with consecutive enrollment of all children presenting with convulsive SE to Hospital Escuela Materno‐Infantil Emergency Department in Tegucigalpa, Honduras over a 13‐week period in 2003. In the 47 children with SE, the mean age was 4.5 years and the median seizure duration was 95 min. Mortality and morbidity were higher in children from rural locations, with all six deaths and three cases of new neurologic abnormalities occurring in rural children who had acute symptomatic SE. We conclude that childhood SE is common in the low‐resource developing country of Honduras. Given the long delays in obtaining initial treatment in pediatric emergency facilities, availability of prehospital treatment may be of particular importance in this setting.