Stroke survivors with acute symptomatic status epilepticus have higher risk of death and epilepsy than those with short acute symptomatic seizures or no seizures at all, neurologists report.

Although acute symptomatic status epilepticus after ischaemic stroke was “rare”, Swiss-led researchers say the estimated mortality rate was 79% at the 10-year mark following the index stroke.

In contrast, results from their cohort study of 4500 patients suggested a 10-year mortality rate of 30% among those with short acute symptomatic seizures and 11% in stroke survivors without seizures.

The association between post-stroke acute symptomatic status epilepticus and death was independent of age, stroke location and aetiology, reperfusion treatment, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score.