UK review of mortality and prolonged seizures in children with epilepsy

The Clinical Outcome Review Programme: Child Health Reviews – UK (CHR-UK) was a UK-wide programme of work aiming to inform clinical practice and improve the healthcare provided to children and young people in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man by systematically examining mortality and morbidity in children and young people from age one to 17 years inclusive. Reviews of this nature provide the opportunity for reflection on the specialist nature of the child healthcare system and the provisions that are made.

This report covers a themed case review of mortality and serious morbidity in children and young people with epilepsy at all stages of the care pathway, including primary and emergency care. Through this review CHR-UK, for the first time, included the concept of serious morbidity as well as mortality. The review aimed to evaluate the standards of care provided to the children concerned against existing evidence-based guidelines.

This is the first national review of serious morbidity in children and young people with epilepsies, and the first review of epilepsy-related deaths since the 2002 National Sentinel Clinical Audit of Epilepsy-Related Death.  Therefore, this review provides a valuable contribution to the evidence base in the area of epilepsy, with the report recommendations having the potential to improve clinical practice.