Journal de l'épilepsie

"Are Deaths Due To Epilepsy Preventable?."

Abstract

Ankita Guchait

Recent studies on epilepsy mortality have shown that deaths due to epilepsy would have been preventable in the majority of cases. Over the years, research on epilepsy has prioritized one of the major causes of death, which is Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).

This study pursues a holistic approach and classifies epilepsy-related deaths into direct, indirect, undetermined, and unrelated causes of mortality. It uses a metaanalysis approach and data from eight articles published from 2008-2018. The Standardized Mortality Rate (SMR) is used as the independent variable and the study compares it with rural and urban population data along with the direct and indirect causes of deaths in people with epilepsy. The findings of this study have shown that the standard mortality rates (SMR) in both rural and urban populations are almost the same. Furthermore, the majority of deaths occurring in urban areas are due to unrelated causes, which are unlikely to be preventable, while deaths happening in rural areas, due to indirect causes, are more likely to be preventable. This study suggests that there should be firm guidelines on classifying different kinds of deaths.