Reducing mortality: An important aim of epilepsy management
Sander J and Bell G(2004) Reducing mortality: An important aim of epilepsy management. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 75:3 349–51.
First Paragraph: Epilepsy is often regarded as a benign condition, but there is little doubt that people with epilepsy are two to three times more likely to die prematurely than those without it. The risk is not uniform over the lifetime of a person with epilepsy, nor across different populations.
Context
- Editorial discussing causes of increased mortality among PWE and likelihood of underreporting of ‘epilepsy’ as cause of death on death certificates in favor of immediate causes such as burning or drowning that are made more likely by epilepsy. Raises the possibility that SUDEP may be more common in the UK due to the low number of neurologists per capita.