Objectives:

Patients with seizures constitute 1%–2% of all emergency department (ED) admissions. The purpose of this study was to compare demographic and clinical characteristics and short-term mortality in patients with unprovoked first and recurrent seizures, admitted to the ED.

Methods:

This prospectively planned study was conducted in a university hospital ED between January and December, 2015, and included patients with unprovoked seizures. Demographic characteristics, neurological examination findings, etiological risk factors, seizure type, and frequency, electroencephalography and neuroimaging findings, hospitalization rate, duration of hospitalization, short-term mortality, and medical and family history data were recorded.

Results:

A total of 125 patients (62.4% male, n=78) with a mean age of 40.10±17.09 years (range, 18–86) were included in the study. The level of patients presenting due to first lifetime seizure was 23.2%. The short-term mortality rate in patients with status epilepticus (SE) was 7.69%. The most common finding at electroencephalography was interictal epileptic discharges.

Conclusion:

A careful evaluation of cases presenting due to first lifetime seizure and initiation of antiepileptic drug therapy in the early period will significantly reduce the risk of seizure recurrence and also prevent complications, such as SE that can even result in death.

Keywords: Electroencephalography, emergency, first-seizure, mortality, status epilepticus, unprovoked seizure