Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurologic medical emergency, affecting 65,000 to 150,000 persons in the United States each year.<sup>5 DeLorenzo R.J., Pellock J.M., Towne A.R. , e al. Epidemiology of status epilepticus J Clin Neurophysiol 1995 ;  12 : 316-325  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 7 Hauser W.A. Status Epilepticus: Epidemiologic considerations Neurology 1990 ;  40 (suppl 2) : 9-13

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> It may be life-threatening to the patient and a challenge to the treating physician. It is estimated that 1.3% to 16% of all patients with epilepsy will develop SE at some point in their lives. In some patients, it is the presenting initial seizure.

Although definitions of SE have evolved, the main feature of this epileptic state is a continuous seizure lasting longer than 30 minutes or repeating convulsions lasting 30 minutes or longer without recovering consciousness between them. SE is commoner in childhood than in adulthood, and there is no clear sexual predominance. Its onset may be partial (focal) or generalized. This article focuses only on the most dramatic and dangerous type of SE: generalized convulsive SE (GCSE).