Certification of deaths attributable to epilepsy

Abstract

Objective: To estimate the number of sudden unexpected epilepsy deaths occurring annually in England and Wales in those 16-50 years of age. Methods: All 1997 death entries mentioning epilepsy as a cause of death in those 16-50 years were examined and classified as sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), other epilepsy related deaths, or non-epilepsy deaths. Results: 612 death entries were obtained with postmortem examination having been performed in 498 cases. Forty four deaths were certified as being attributable to SUDEP and a further 292 deaths were considered to be probable SUDEP cases. Conclusion: It is estimated that between 350 and 400 cases of SUDEP occurred in England and Wales in 1997 in those 16-50 years. SUDEP is the commonest category of epilepsy related death and accurate certification of such deaths is vital for the monitoring of trends in mortality.