Sudden death and epilepsy

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Brown SW, Mawer GE, Lawler W, Taylor DC, Shorvon S, Betts TA, Noronha MJ, Richens A, Chadwick D, and Besag FM (1990) Sudden death and epilepsy. Lancet 335:8689 606–7.

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  • Letter to the editor highlighting the need for accurate listing of cause of death in epilepsy patients. Also emphasizes the utility of distinguishing sudden death in a patient with epilepsy, regardless of whether it occurred in conjunction with a seizure or immediately following a seizure, from deaths among epilepsy patients due to causes such as drowning or electrocution. The authors take the view that status epilepticus and asphyxiation are uncommon as true causes of death. They question the assessment of AED levels after death as a reflection of antemortem levels. The advocate the use of ‘epilepsy’ as a cause of death in such cases lacking strong anatomical evidence for asphyxiation or other cause.

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