Assessment of Adults Epidemiological Characteristics of Status Epilepticus in the French West Indies and in French Guiana

Overview

The justification of this prospective and multicenter study is based on the absence of published data concerning, status epilepticus (SE), a pathology which seems frequent in the French West Indies (FWI) and French Guiana, and whose etiological and prognostic characteristics are often mentioned or assumed but which remain to be demonstrated. The scientific interest lies both in the knowledge of the epidemiology of this pathology and in the identification of the main etiologies, in particular the underlying brain lesions. The morbidity of SE is significant, associating neurological disorders with impaired consciousness, respiratory, hemodynamic and cardiac rhythm disorders, as well as metabolic disorders such as acidosis. SE-related mortality in the acute phase ranges from 3-40% across studies and regions, while long-term mortality ranges from 17-80% depending on age, cause of SE, comorbidities and the occurrence of complications. The prognosis of this pathology has however improved in recent years in developed countries or countries with a high level of health system. On the other hand, the morbidity and mortality of SE in the French overseas departments is not known, even if these territories are supposed to be at an equivalent level in terms of health system to that of mainland France.

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease characterized by the occurrence of intermittent seizures, often isolated, but which can progress to status epilepticus (SE) when the seizures are repeated at short intervals without recovery of consciousness. SE is an acute complication that occurs during epileptic disease, but it can also occur outside of known epilepsy, indicative of acute neurological or systemic damage. SE is a neurological emergency, the second after stroke. The incidence of the occurrence of SE is estimated at 12.6 cases per 100,000 person-year, but is widely variable depending on the study region. The epidemiological, clinical, etiological and prognostic characteristics of epilepsy and SE vary depending on the continent and region, mainly linked to the exposing or favoring factors as well as the socio-economic level of the population, the healthcare offer of the patient health system and accessibility to care for the population. In France, the management of SE has been codified by Formalized Expert Recommendations (RFE) from learned societies in Emergencies and Resuscitation. The last updated RFE was published in 2018. However, very few studies have been carried out on SE in prehospital or emergencies department. There are no national epidemiological data on SE. To our knowledge, there is no data on the prevalence of SE in the French West Indies (FWI) and French Guiana and even less on the main aetiologies and prognosis of this acute neurological complication. The interest of this prospective study is to evaluate, through the emergency system, the incidence, the modes of clinical presentation, the etiologies, the therapeutic modalities and finally the prognosis of SE in French overseas departments. This study is of scientific interest for the new knowledge it will bring, because there is no data concerning this relatively common pathology in these regions. The results of the study would contribute to the improvement of scientific knowledge, to the highlighting of potential particularities and specificities of this pathology in the FWI and French Guiana, and would contribute to improving medical practice and the management of these patients.