You are here

Article Text

Article menu
Download PDFPDF
Parallel session 5: Neurological Treatment
11.42 The scottish epilepsy deaths study (SEDS): identifying avoidable epilepsy-related deaths
  1. Gashirai K Mbizvo1,2,
  2. Christian Schnier3,
  3. Colin R Simpson3,4,
  4. Richard FM Chin1,5,
  5. Susan E Duncan1,2
  1. 1Muir Maxwell Epilepsy Centre, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh
  2. 2Department for Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh
  3. 3Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, The University of Edinburgh
  4. 4Faculty of Health, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
  5. 5Department of Neurosciences, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh

Abstract

Purpose Quantify avoidable epilepsy-related mortality in adults (aged ≥ 16 years).

Method We identified adult epilepsy-related deaths occurring between 01/01/2009–2016 in Scotland by linking death certificates to administrative primary and secondary care datasets. International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) codes (G40–41, R56.8), Read Codes (F25..), and antiepileptic drugs (AED) were examined in the linked dataset to identify potential epilepsy patients, using clinical data from medical records as a diagnostic reference to calculate positive predictive values (PPV). EPRDs were determined from death certificates (including post-mortem indicators) and medical records, estimating their standardised mortality ratio (SMR) and mortality rate (MR). The Office for National Statistics’ Revised Definition of Avoidable Mortality Causes 2016 was used to identify potentially avoidable EPRDs.

Results Combining AED prescription with death certificate epilepsy codes G40–41 had the highest PPV (99%) for epilepsy diagnosis. There were 2,149 EPRDs. Age-standardised MR per 100,000 ranged between 6.8 (95%CI 6.0–7.6) in 2009 and 9.1 (95%CI 8.2–9.9) in 2015. SMR was higher in young adults (≤55 years), peaking at 6 (95%CI 2.3–9.7) in the 16–24-year-old group. There were 579 EPRDs in those aged ≤55 years. 31% were SUDEP, 26% respiratory causes (mainly aspiration pneumonias), and 15% mental disorders (mostly alcohol-related). 79% of all EPRDs were potentially avoidable. Commonest modifiable factors were absent epilepsy specialist input, poor patient education, and drug errors.

Conclusion The burden of avoidable epilepsy-related mortality remains high, particularly in young adults.

https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2019-ABN-2.28

Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.