INCIDENCE OF STATUS EPILEPTICUS IN ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA, 1965-1984

We determined the incidence of status epilepticus (SE) by ascertaining all first episodes of SE in Rochester, Minnesota through the Rocheste r Epidemiology Project's records-linkage system between January 1, 196 5 and December 31, 1984. Information was collected on age, gender, dur ation, seizure type, and etiology. The age-adjusted incidence of SE wa s 18.3 per 100,000 population. SE incidence was U-shaped, peaking unde r 1 year and over 60 years of age. The incidence of SE was greater for males than for females, for acute symptomatic etiology than any other etiology, and for partial SE that did not generalize than any other s eizure type. Status of long duration (at least 2 hours) occurred more frequently among infants and the elderly than among persons aged 1 to 65 years. Cumulative incidence was 4 per 1,000 to age 75 and showed th e greatest increase after age 60. Given the aging of the population, S E will become an increasingly important public health problem.