Clinical profile and etiological spectrum of acute symptomatic seizures in the elderly populace

Abstract

Aim. The current study was aimed to analyze the etiology and the clinical spectrum of acute symptomatic seizures (ASS) and the predictors of in- hospital mortality in the elderly population. Methods. We evaluated ninety-four elderly (≥60 years of age) hospitalized patients with ASS for clinical profile, aetiologies and predictors of in-hospital mortality. Results. Mean age of onset of ASS was 67.63 ± 11.48 years. Main seizure type was focal seizure in 62 (59.7%) cases followed by tonic-clonic seizures in 30 (31.9%) cases. Most common aetiologies in ASS were stroke in 61.7% followed by infective cause in 30.9% of cases. In-hospital mortality in the ASS in the elderly was 21 (22.3%) in our series and the stroke was the most common cause of mortality. Conclusion. Stroke was the most common etiology of ASS in the elderly and was also related with mortality. It is necessary for us to analysis the causes of ASS in the elderly, in order to reduce the in-hospital mortality.