Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy

Abstract

Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) accounts for 7–17% of deaths among people with epilepsy. Both cardiac and pulmonary derangement have been postulated as proximate causes. Patients with uncontrolled seizures are at greatest risk for SUDEP, and experiencing tonic-clonic seizures, taking multiple antiepileptic drugs and having coexisting neurologic disease further increase the risk.