Status epilepticus facts for kids

Status epilepticus is a serious medical situation where a person's brain keeps having seizures without stopping. It's like the brain's electrical system gets stuck in an "on" position for too long. When someone is having status epilepticus, doctors say they are "in status."

What is Status Epilepticus?

The way doctors define status epilepticus has changed over time. In the past, a seizure had to last 20 or 30 minutes to be called status epilepticus. Most regular seizures only last about one to two minutes.

Today, a person is usually considered "in status" if:

• They have a seizure that lasts longer than five minutes; OR
• They have more than one seizure without fully waking up in between.
  • "Fully waking up" means the person knows who they are, where they are, and what day it is.

Why is Status Epilericus Dangerous?

Status epilepticus is very dangerous and needs immediate medical help. It can cause serious problems for the body.

Here's why it's a medical emergency:

• Not Enough Oxygen: During a long seizure, it's hard for the body to get enough oxygen to the brain and heart.
  • Without enough oxygen, the brain can get damaged. This can lead to lasting problems or even death.
  • The heart also needs oxygen. If it doesn't get enough, it can start beating in unusual ways. If this goes on for too long, the heart can stop beating completely.
• High Body Temperature: Status epilepticus can make a person's body temperature go very high. This is called hyperthermia, and it can also harm the brain.
• Fluid in Lungs: Sometimes, status can cause fluid to build up in the lungs. This makes it very hard to breathe, which means even less oxygen gets to the brain and heart.
• Brain Cell Damage: The extra electricity in the brain during long seizures can damage the brain's nerve cells.

If people get the right treatment quickly, they can often recover with little or no brain damage.

What Causes Status Epilepticus?

It might surprise you, but only about one out of four people who get status epilepticus have epilepsy. The other three out of four have never had a seizure before. Many different things can cause status epilepticus.

Illnesses That Can Cause Status

Several illnesses can lead to status epilepticus:

• In children, a common cause is an infection that causes a fever.
• A brain infection.
• A Brain tumor.
• A Stroke.
• Hypoxia (when the body, especially the brain, doesn't get enough oxygen).
• Problems with metabolism, which is how the body turns food into energy. This can involve problems with the liver or kidneys.

Injuries That Can Cause Status

Serious injuries can also trigger status epilepticus:

• An Injury to the head or brain.
• Very bad bleeding inside the body.

Medicines and Other Substances

Sometimes, certain medicines or other substances can cause status:

• Bad reactions to some medicines, like certain antidepressants.
• If a person doesn't take enough of their prescribed medicine, or stops taking it suddenly.
• When a person who has been using certain substances stops using them suddenly.

Other Causes

• Exposure to certain harmful chemicals.

How is Status Epilepticus Treated?

People in status epilepticus cannot stop their seizures on their own. They are often unconscious and cannot respond.

The most common way to stop status is to give special medicines by injection. These medicines are designed to stop seizures. If these medicines don't work, the person needs to be treated in the intensive care unit at a hospital. Sometimes, doctors even have to put the patient into a special kind of coma to stop very severe status epilepticus.