Comparison of scoring tools for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in status epilepticus

Evaluation of prognostic scores for status epilepticus in the neurology ICU: A retrospective study

OBJECTIVE

Status epilepticus (SE) in the neurology intensive care unit (ICU) is associated with significant morbidity. We aimed to evaluate the utility of existing prognostic scores, namely the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), Epidemiology Based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE)-EACE and Encephalitis-Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus-Diazepam Resistance-Image Abnormalities-Tracheal Intubation (END-IT), among SE patients in the neurology ICU.

METHODS

Neurology ICU patients with SE requiring continuous electroencephalography (cEEG) monitoring over a 10 year period were included. The STESS, EMSE-EACE and END-IT scores were applied retrospectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to assess the discriminatory value of the scores for inpatient mortality and functional decline, as measured by increase in the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) on discharge.

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients were included in the study, of which 71 (83.5%) had refractory SE. Inpatient mortality was 36.5%. Sixty - seven (78.8%) of patients suffered functional decline, with a median mRS of 5 upon hospital discharge. The AUCs of the STESS, EMSE-EACE and END-IT scores associated with inpatient mortality were 0.723 (95% CI 0.613-0.833), 0.722 (95% CI 0.609-0.834) and 0.560 (95% CI 0.436-0.684) respectively. The AUCs of the STESS, EMSE-EACE and END-IT scores associated with functional decline were 0.604 (95% CI 0.468-0.741), 0.596 (95% CI 0.439-0.754) and 0.477 (95% CI 0.331-0.623).

SIGNIFICANCE

SE was associated with high mortality and morbidity in this cohort of neurology ICU patients requiring cEEG monitoring. The STESS and EMSE-EACE scores had acceptable AUCs for prediction of inpatient mortality. However, the STESS, EMSE-EACE and END-IT were poorly-correlated with discharge functional outcomes. Further refinements of the scores may be necessary among neurology ICU patients for predicting discharge functional outcomes.

Impact of frailty, biomarkers and basic biochemical parameters on outcomes of comatose patients in status epilepticus: a single-center prospective pilot study

BACKGROUND

Status epilepticus (SE) is a severe acute condition in neurocritical care with high mortality. Searching for risk factors affecting the prognosis in SE remains a significant issue. The primary study's aim was to test the predictive values of the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and the Modified 11-item Frailty Index (mFI-11), the biomarkers and basic biochemical parameters collected at ICU on the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) assessed at hospital discharge (hosp), and three months later (3 M), in comatose patients with SE. The secondary aim was to focus on the association between the patient's state at admission and the duration of mechanical ventilation, the ICU, and hospital stay.

METHODS

In two years single-centre prospective pilot study enrolling 30 adult neurocritical care patients with SE classified as Convulsive SE, A.1 category according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Task Force without an-/hypoxic encephalopathy, we evaluated predictive powers of CFS, mFI-11, admission Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), serum protein S100, serum Troponin T and basic biochemical parameters on prognosticating GOS using univariate linear regression, logistic regression and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis.

RESULTS

Our study included 60% males, with a mean age of 57 ± 16 years (44-68) and a mean BMI of 27 ± 5.6. We found CFS, mFI-11, STESS, and age statistically associated with GOS at hospital discharge and three months later. Among the biomarkers, serum troponin T level affected GOS hosp (p = 0.027). Serum C-reactive protein significance in prognosticating GOS was found by logistic regression (hosp p = 0.008; 3 M p = 0.004), and serum calcium by linear regression (hosp p = 0.028; 3 M p = 0.015). In relation to secondary outcomes, we found associations between the length of hospital stay and each of the following: age (p = 0.03), STESS (p = 0.009), and serum troponin T (p = 0.029) parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot study found promising predictive powers of two frailty scores, namely CFS and mFI-11, which were comparable to age and STESS predictors regarding the GOS at hospital discharge and three months later in ICU patients with SE. Among biomarkers and biochemical parameters, only serum troponin T level affected GOS at hospital discharge.

Prognostic value of Salzburg nonconvulsive status epilepticus criteria: The SACE score

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to investigate the association between the Salzburg nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) criteria and in-hospital outcome, to determine the predictive accuracy of the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), modified STESS (mSTESS), Epidemiology-Based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE), and END-IT (encephalitis, NCSE, diazepam resistance, imaging features, and tracheal intubation) in NCSE patients, and to develop a new prognostic score specifically designed for NCSE patients.

METHODS

Clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) data of adult patients treated for NCSE from 2020 to 2023 were retrospectively assessed. Age, sex, modified Rankin Scale at admission, comorbidities, history of seizures, etiology, status epilepticus type, and outcome were collected from the patients' digital charts. EEG data were assessed and categorized applying the Salzburg NCSE criteria. In-hospital death was defined as the primary outcome.

RESULTS

A total of 116 NCSE patients were included. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that Salzburg NCSE criterion A2 (ictal morphological, spatial, and temporal evolution) was associated with in-hospital survival. The best STESS cutoff was ≥4 (sensitivity = .62, specificity = .69, accuracy = 67%). mSTESS ≥ 5 reached a sensitivity of .68, a specificity of .57, and an overall accuracy of 60%, EMSE ≥ 64 a sensitivity of .82, a specificity of .39, and an overall accuracy of 52%, and END-IT ≥ 3 a sensitivity of .65, a specificity of .44, and an overall accuracy of 50%. Through a hypothesis-generating approach, we developed the SACE score, which integrates EEG features (criterion A2) with patient age (with a 75-year cutoff), history of seizures, and level of consciousness. With a cutoff of ≥3, it had a sensitivity of .77, a specificity of .74, and an overall accuracy of 76%, performing better than other prognostic scores.

SIGNIFICANCE

We developed a new user-friendly scoring system, the SACE score, which integrates EEG features with other established outcome-related variables assessable in early stages, to assist neurologists and neurointensivists in making more tailored prognostic decisions for NCSE patients.

Development and validation of a nomogram to provide individualized predictions of functional outcomes in patients with convulsive status epilepticus at 3 months: The modified END-IT tool

AIMS

The prediction of outcomes in convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) remains a constant challenge. The Encephalitis-Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus-Diazepam Resistance-Image Abnormalities-Tracheal Intubation (END-IT) score was a useful tool for predicting the functional outcomes of CSE patients, excluding cerebral hypoxia patients. With further understanding of CSE, and in view of the deficiencies of END-IT itself, we consider it necessary to modify the prediction tool.

METHODS

The prediction model was designed from a cohort of CSE patients from Xijing Hospital (China), between 2008 and 2020. The enrolled subjects were randomly divided into training cohort and validation cohort as a ratio of 2:1. The logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors and construct the nomogram. The performance of the nomogram was assessed by calculating the concordance index, and creating calibration plots to check the consistency between the predicted probabilities of poor prognosis and the actual outcomes of CSE.

RESULTS

The training cohort included 131 patients and validation cohort included 66 patients. Variables included in the nomogram were age, etiology of CSE, non-convulsive SE, mechanical ventilation, abnormal albumin level at CSE onset. The concordance index of the nomogram in the training and validation cohorts was 0.853 (95% CI, 0.787-0.920) and 0.806 (95% CI, 0.683-0.923), respectively. The calibration plots showed an adequate consistency between the reported and predicted unfavorable outcomes of patients with CSE at 3 months after discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

A nomogram for predicting the individualized risks of poor functional outcomes in CSE was constructed and validated, which has been an important modification of END-IT score.

The value of serum albumin concentration in predicting functional outcome of status epilepticus: An observational study

OBJECTIVE

Status epilepticus (SE) is a common neurological emergency with unsatisfying prognoses, and accurate prediction of functional outcome is beneficial in clinical decision-making. The relationship between serum albumin concentration and outcome of SE patients has yet to be unveiled.

METHODS

Clinical profiles of SE patients admitted to Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, from April 2017 to November 2020, were analyzed retrospectively. Outcomes of SE patients at discharge were divided into two groups based on the modified Rankin Scale (mRS): favorable outcome (mRS: 0-3) and unfavorable outcome (mRS: 4-6).

RESULTS

Fifty-one patients were enrolled. Unfavorable functional outcome at discharge was reported in 60.8% (31/51). Serum albumin concentration at admission and the Encephalitis-NCSE-Diazepam resistance-Image abnormalities-Tracheal intubation (END-IT) score remained independent predictors for functional outcome of SE patients. A lower albumin concentration at admission and higher END-IT score indicated a higher chance of unfavorable outcome for SE patients. The cut-off value of serum albumin to predict unfavorable outcome was 35.2 g/L, with a sensitivity of 67.7% and specificity of 85.0%, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of .738 (95% CI: .600-.876, p = .004). The preferable END-IT score with optimal sensitivity (74.2%) and specificity (60%) was 2 and the area under the ROC was .742, with 95% CI of .608-.876 (p = .004).

SIGNIFICANCE

Serum albumin concentration at admission and the END-IT score are two independent predictive factors for short-term outcome of SE patients, moreover, the serum albumin concentration is not inferior to the END-IT score in indicating functional outcome at discharge.

Prognostic scores in status epilepticus: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The performance of prognostic scores of status epilepticus (SE) has been reported in very heterogeneous cohorts. We aimed to provide a summary of the available evidence on their respective performance. PubMed and EMBASE were searched for relevant articles. Studies were reviewed for eligibility for meta-analysis of the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) and for meta-analysis of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) in predicting in-hospital mortality with scores in which at least two external evaluations had been published. This study was registered with PROSPERO (international prospective register of systematic reviews) (CRD42022325766). Study quality was assessed using Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). In the meta-analysis of AUC, 21 studies were pooled for STESS (Status Epilepticus Severity Score), five for EMSE-EAC (Epidemiology-based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus - Etiology, Age, level of Consciousness), five for EMSE-EACE (EMSE - Etiology, Age, level of Consciousness, EEG), and two for ENDIT (Encephalitis, nonconvulsive status epilepticus, Diazepam resistance, Imaging abnormalities, Tracheal intubation). The pooled AUC of STESS, EMSE-EAC, EMSE-EACE, and ENDIT was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.71-0.78), 0.68 (95% CI 0.63-0.72), 0.77 (95% CI: 0.72-0.81), and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.87), respectively. The pooled sensitivity of STESS-3, STESS-4, EMSE-EACE-64, and ENDIT-4 was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.80-0.86), 0.60 (95% CI: 0.55-0.65), 0.76 (95% CI: 0.67-0.83), and 0.70 (95% CI: 0.55-0.82), respectively. Their pooled specificity was 0.50 (95% CI: 0.48-0.52), 0.74 (95% CI: 0.72-0.76), 0.63 (95% CI: 0.59-0.67), and 0.65 (95% CI: 0.61-0.70), respectively. Their pooled PPV was 0.27 (95% CI: 0.24-0.30), 0.35 (95% CI: 0.29-0.41), 0.33 (95% CI: 0.24-0.43), and 0.20 (95% CI: 0.13-0.27). Their pooled NPV was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.93-0.96), 0.90 (95% CI: 0.89-0.92), 0.89 (95% CI: 0.80-0.98), and 0.95 (95% CI: 0.92-0.98). Variations in performance were observed in patients' subgroups, such as critically ill patients and refractory cases. Investigated scores only have acceptable AUC, sensitivity, and specificity for predicting in-hospital mortality, with the EMSE-EAC having a lower discriminative power. STESS-3 has the highest sensitivity, and STESS-4 the highest specificity, but neither combines acceptable sensitivity and specificity. All these scores had high NPV but very low PPV. Caution should be exercised in their clinical use. Further studies are required to develop more accurate scores.

Mortality, Disability and Prognostic Factors of Status Epilepticus: A Nationwide Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

The outcome of status epilepticus (SE) largely varies depending on clinical characteristics. Risk stratification is necessary for tailoring the aggressiveness of treatment and predicting outcomes of individual patients with SE. In this study, we assessed differences in mortality, neurologic disability, and prognostic factors associated with SE across sociodemographic and clinical characteristics.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study using the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) database linked with the national death and disability registries. SE was identified from admission or emergency room visits using a diagnostic code of G41 from the International Classification of Disease, 10^th Revision. Individuals with new-onset SE that occurred from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018, were included. Active epilepsy, refractoriness of SE, potential etiology, and comorbidities were ascertained by diagnostic codes and/or prescription records from the NHIS database as potential prognostic factors. Outcomes included 30-day and 1-year mortality and neurologic disabilities following SE. Prognostic factors for mortality were assessed by the Cox regression hazard model. We performed a subgroup analysis according to age: pediatric SE (age < 20 years old) and adult SE (age ≥ 20 years old).

RESULTS

A total of 33,814 new-onset SE patients were included (6,818 children/adolescents and 26,996 adults). The 30-day mortality was 8.5% (1.8% in pediatric SE and 10.2% in adult SE), and the 1-year mortality was 25.1% (4.6% in pediatric SE and 30.3% in adult SE). Overall, 10.7% of patients newly acquired neurologic disabilities following SE, with the highest incidence in children aged 5 to 9 years (21.3%). Intractable epilepsy developed in 0.8% of entire SE. Old age, presence of acute etiology, and refractoriness were poor prognostic factors for mortality in both pediatric and adult SE. Male sex, low economic status, no active epilepsy, and comorbidities were additional factors for a poor prognosis in adults.

CONCLUSIONS

New-onset SE was associated with substantial mortality and disability. While SE-related mortality was higher in adults, disabilities developed more commonly in children and adolescents. The major determinants of mortality differed between pediatric and adult SE.

Utility of the END-IT Score to Predict the outcome of Childhood Status Epilepticus: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Introduction:

Scoring systems to predict outcomes in pediatric status epilepticus (SE) are limited. We sought to assess usefulness of the END-IT score in pediatric SE.

Methodology:

We conducted a retrospective study at a tertiary hospital in New Delhi, India. Children aged 1 month–18 years who presented with seizure for ≥5 min/actively convulsing to emergency were enrolled. END-IT score was calculated and correlated with outcome at discharge using Pediatric Overall Performance Category (POPC) scale, in-hospital mortality, and progression to refractory and super-refractory SE (SRSE).

Results:

We enrolled 140 children (mean age 5.8 years; 67.1% males). Seven children died and 15 had unfavorable outcomes. The predictive accuracy of END-IT at a cutoff of > 2: for unfavorable outcome (POPC score ≥3) was: sensitivity 0.73 (95% CI: 0.45–0.92), specificity 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89–0.98), PPV 0.61 (95% CI: 0.36–0.83), NPV 0.97 (95% CI: 0.92–0.99), positive likelihood ratio (13.09), F1 score (0.666); for death: sensitivity 0.86 (95% CI: 0.42–0.99), specificity 0.91 (95% CI: 0.85–0.95), PPV 0.33 (95% CI: 0.13–0.59), NPV 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96–1.00), F1 score (0.48); for RSE: sensitivity 0.80 (95%CI: 0.28–0.99), specificity 0.90 (95% CI: 0.83–0.94), PPV 0.22 (95% CI: 0.06–0.48) NPV 0.99 (95% CI: 0.96–1.00), F1 score (0.35); for SRSE: sensitivity 0.67 (95% CI: 0.22–0.96) specificity 0.75 (95% CI: 0.66–0.82), PPV 0.22 (95% CI: 0.06–0.48) NPV 0.98 (95% CI: 0.94–0.99), F1 score (0.33).

Conclusion:

We demonstrate utility of the END-IT score to predict short-term outcomes as well as progression to refractory and SRSE for the first time among children with SE.

Frequency of Withdrawal of Life-Sustaining Therapy for Perceived Poor Neurologic Prognosis

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

OBJECTIVES:

To measure the frequency of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis among decedents in hospitals of different sizes and teaching statuses.

DESIGN:

We performed a multicenter, retrospective cohort study.

SETTING:

Four large teaching hospitals, four affiliated small teaching hospitals, and nine affiliated nonteaching hospitals in the United States.

PATIENTS:

We included a sample of all adult inpatient decedents between August 2017 and August 2019.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

We reviewed inpatient notes and categorized the immediately preceding circumstances as withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis, withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for nonneurologic reasons, limitations or withholding of life support or resuscitation, cardiac death despite full treatment, or brain death. Of 2,100 patients, median age was 71 years (interquartile range, 60–81 yr), median hospital length of stay was 5 days (interquartile range, 2–11 d), and 1,326 (63%) were treated at four large teaching hospitals. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis occurred in 516 patients (25%) and was the sole contributing factor to death in 331 (15%). Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis was common in all hospitals: 30% of deaths at large teaching hospitals, 19% of deaths in small teaching hospitals, and 15% of deaths at nonteaching hospitals. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis happened frequently across all hospital units. Withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis contributed to one in 12 deaths in patients without a primary neurologic diagnosis. After accounting for patient and hospital characteristics, significant between-hospital variability in the odds of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis persisted.

CONCLUSIONS:

A quarter of inpatient deaths in this cohort occurred after withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis. The rate of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis occurred commonly in all type of hospital settings. We observed significant unexplained variation in the odds of withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy for perceived poor neurologic prognosis across participating hospitals.

Prediction of in-hospital mortality in status epilepticus: Evaluation of four scoring tools in younger and older adult patients

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to evaluate the predictive capacity of four scoring tools: the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), the Encephalitis-NCSE-Diazepam resistance-Image abnormalities-Tracheal intubation (END-IT) score, and two variable combinations of the Epidemiology-based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE) in younger and older adult patients with status epilepticus (SE).

METHODS

We present a retrospective hospital-based analysis with a focus on adult patients with SE at three tertiary care hospitals in the Zhejiang province of China. Data were collected from January 2013 to December 2018. The patients were divided into two groups: younger adult patients (18-64 years old) and older adult patients (≥65 years old). Clinical outcomes (dead or alive) were assessed at hospital discharge. The four scoring tools were used to predict in-hospital mortality in both younger and older adult patients.

RESULTS

The mortality rate in older adult patients (25.4%) was higher than in younger adult patients (12.9%). Compared with the elderly, the younger adult patients had a higher proportion of encephalitis, while acute cerebrovascular disease and Charlson Complications Index (CCI) were lower. For the younger adult patients, END-IT had the largest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.843 (95% CI, 0.772-0.899), which was higher than the EMSE-EAL value of 0.687 (95% CI, 0.603-0.763, p < 0.05) and EMSE-EAC of 0.646 (95% CI, 0.561-0.725, p < 0.05). For the older adult patients, EMSE-EAL had the largest AUC of 0.843 (95% CI, 0.738-0.919), which was significantly higher than STESS with an AUC of 0.676 (95% CI, 0.554-0.782, p < 0.05). Moreover, the AUC of EMSE-EAL in the elderly was larger than in younger adult patients. The cutoffs in younger adult patients were STESS ≥ 4 (sensitivity 0.444, specificity 0.951), END-IT ≥ 3 (sensitivity 0.833, specificity 0.672), EMSE-EAL ≥ 31 (sensitivity 0.778, specificity 0.566), and EMSE-EAC ≥ 33 (sensitivity 0.833, specificity 0.492). However, the cutoffs in older adult patients were STESS ≥ 5 (sensitivity 0.500, specificity 0.925), END-IT ≥ 2 (sensitivity 0.944, specificity 0.547), EMSE-EAL ≥ 30 (sensitivity 0.944, specificity 0.623), and EMSE-EAC ≥ 31 (sensitivity 0.944, specificity 0.415).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that the STESS, END-IT, EMSE-EAC, and EMSE-EAL scores have excellent capacity to predict in-hospital mortality in both younger and older adult patients with SE. Our study supports the use of END-IT in patients under 65 years of age and suggests that EMSE-EAL is the most suitable scoring tool for patients over 65.

Development of a novel outcome prediction score (PEDSS) for pediatric convulsive status epilepticus: A longitudinal observational study

OBJECTIVE

The objectives of this study were to evaluate ENDIT score and develop a novel outcome prediction score for outcome of pediatric convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) at the hospital and 3 months postdischarge.

METHODS

Children and adolescents aged 1 month to 14 years, presenting with CSE to a tertiary care teaching center in North India from January 2017 to March 2019, were screened for enrollment. In-hospital and 3-month postdischarge outcome were defined as poor if Pediatric Cerebral Performance Category Scale (PCPCS) score dropped by ≥2 levels.

RESULTS

Overall, 61 patients were enrolled for final analysis after applying exclusion and inclusion criteria. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for ENDIT score in predicting mortality and differentiating good from poor outcome at the hospital and at 3 months postdischarge was 0.74 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58-0.89), 0.7 (95% CI = 0.57-0.83), and 0.72 (95% CI = 0.6-0.82), respectively. Based on predictors in the present cohort that were significantly different between good and poor outcome cases at the hospital and 3 months postdischarge, a new six-point score named PEDSS (pre-status epilepticus PCPCS, background electroencephalographic abnormalities, drug refractoriness, semiology, and critical sickness) was developed. The area under ROC curves for PEDSS score in predicting mortality and differentiating good from poor outcome at the hospital and at 3 months postdischarge were 0.93 (95% CI = 0.87-0.99), 0.8 (95% CI = 0.7-0.9), and 0.89 (95% CI = 0.8-0.96), respectively. The best cutoff PEDSS scores for predicting mortality and poor outcome at the hospital and at 3 months postdischarge were ≥4, ≥3, and ≥3, respectively.

SIGNIFICANCE

The PEDSS score has high predictive accuracy for mortality and differentiating good from poor outcome at the hospital and 3 months postdischarge in pediatric CSE. Future studies should be planned to validate it in various geographical and health care settings and in adults.

Improving the ability to predict hospital mortality among adults by combining two status epilepticus outcome scoring tools

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to compare the predictive ability of the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), the Encephalitis-nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE)-Diazepam resistance-Image abnormalities-Tracheal intubation (END-IT), and the combination of these two scoring tools to predict mortality among inhospital patients with status epilepticus (SE).

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was conducted of adult patients with SE who were admitted to the neurology department, the emergency department, and the intensive care unit from January 2013 to December 2017. The patients were divided into two groups: survivors and nonsurvivors. The STESS data were obtained when the patient arrived at the hospital, and the END-IT data were collected 24 h after patients were initially treated in the hospital. The ability of the scoring tools to predict death in patients with SE, alone or in combination, was evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 123 patients with SE were included in the study, of which 22 died, for a mortality rate of 17.9%. The STESS and END-IT scores of nonsurvivors were both significantly higher than those of survivors (median STESS 4 vs. 2, p = 0.003; median END-IT 3 vs. 1, p < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.698 for the STESS and 0.852 for the END-IT, and the cutoff values were 4 and 3, respectively. The AUC of the END-IT with the optimal cutoff value was larger than that of the STESS (p = 0.024). The sensitivity and specificity of combining the STESS and END-IT by the serial method (STESS ≥ 4∩END-IT ≥ 3) were 0.50 and 0.95, respectively, and the specificity was significantly higher than the STESS or END-IT (both p's < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of combining the STESS and END-IT by the parallel method (STESS ≥ 4⋃END-IT ≥ 3) were 0.91 and 0.53, respectively, and the sensitivity was higher than the STESS was (p = 0.016).

CONCLUSION

Our results indicated that the combined score of the STESS and END-IT systems was a better predictor of survival of patients with SE than the scores of either the STESS system or the END-IT system alone and that combining the scores may be considered to be a new method for early identification of patients for both good and bad outcomes.

Gap Analysis Regarding Prognostication in Neurocritical Care: A Joint Statement from the German Neurocritical Care Society and the Neurocritical Care Society

Background/Objective

Prognostication is a routine part of the delivery of neurocritical care for most patients with acute neurocritical illnesses. Numerous prognostic models exist for many different conditions. However, there are concerns about significant gaps in knowledge regarding optimal methods of prognostication.

Methods

As part of the Arbeitstagung NeuroIntensivMedizin meeting in February 2018 in Würzburg, Germany, a joint session on prognostication was held between the German NeuroIntensive Care Society and the Neurocritical Care Society. The purpose of this session was to provide presentations and open discussion regarding existing prognostic models for eight common neurocritical care conditions (aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, acute ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, traumatic spinal cord injury, status epilepticus, Guillain–Barré Syndrome, and global cerebral ischemia from cardiac arrest). The goal was to develop a qualitative gap analysis regarding prognostication that could help inform a future framework for clinical studies and guidelines.

Results

Prognostic models exist for all of the conditions presented. However, there are significant gaps in prognostication in each condition. Furthermore, several themes emerged that crossed across several or all diseases presented. Specifically, the self-fulfilling prophecy, lack of accounting for medical comorbidities, and absence of integration of in-hospital care parameters were identified as major gaps in most prognostic models.

Conclusions

Prognostication in neurocritical care is important, and current prognostic models are limited. This gap analysis provides a summary assessment of issues that could be addressed in future studies and evidence-based guidelines in order to improve the process of prognostication.

Status epilepticus - time is brain and treatment considerations

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Status epilepticus is a neurological emergency associated with high morbidity and mortality. There is a lack of robust data to guide the management of this neurological emergency beyond the initial treatment. This review examines recent literature on treatment considerations including the choice of continuous anesthetics or adjunctive anticonvulsant, the cause of the status epilepticus, and use of nonpharmacologic therapies.

RECENT FINDINGS

Status epilepticus remains undertreated and mortality persists to be unchanged over the past 30 years. New anticonvulsant choices, such as levetiracetam and lacosamide have been explored as alternative emergent therapies. Anecdotal reports on the use of other generation anticonvulsants and nonpharmacologic therapies for the treatment of refractory and super-refractory status epilepticus have been described.Finally, recent evidence has examined etiology-guided management of status epilepticus in certain patient populations, such as immune-mediated, paraneoplastic or infectious encephalitis and anoxic brain injury.

SUMMARY

Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine the role for newer generation anticonvulsants and nonpharmacologic modalities for the treatment of epilepticus remains and evaluate the long-term outcomes associated with continuous anesthetics.

Clinical profile and comparison of scoring tools for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in convulsive status epilepticus in elderly

PURPOSE

The present study was aimed to study the clinical profile, etiologies, and outcome of convulsive status epilepticus (CSE) in elderly patients and also to compare the predictive accuracy of the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) and Epidemiology-based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus - etiology, age, level of consciousness (EMSE-EAL) score for in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

Eighty-five elderly patients (≥60 years of age) with a diagnosis of CSE were consecutively enrolled. The distinction between the score performances was determined by comparing the means area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC).

RESULTS

The mean age of respondents was 66.3 ± 7.4 years; the most common etiology of CSE was stroke (acute and remote symptomatic) in 48.2% of cases. In-hospital mortality was 16.5% in our series, and on multivariate analysis, variables significantly related with mortality were lack of response to first-line drugs (odds ratio (OR) = 43.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.7-386.8; p = .001) and higher EMSE-EAL score (OR = 0.08, 95% CI = 0.015-0.47; p = .005). On comparison, STESS with the cutoff value of ≥3 has AUC of 0.678 (95%CI = 0.54-0.81), whereas ESME-EAL with the cutoff value of ≥40 showed AUC of 0.901 (95% CI = 0.83-0.97).

CONCLUSIONS

Most frequent cause of CSE in elderly in our series was stroke and was also associated with high mortality. For the prediction of in-hospital mortality in elderly, EMSE-EAL-40 score is superior to STESS-3, which can be easily applied in resource-poor sectors with limited diagnostic facilities especially where continuous video-electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring is unavailable.

Predicting the Functional Outcome of Adult Patients with Status Epilepticus

Patients that survive status epilepticus (SE) may suffer from neurological and cognitive deficits that cause severe disabilities. An effective scoring system for functional outcome prediction may help the clinician in making treatment decisions for SE patients. Three scoring systems, namely the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS), the Epidemiology-Based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE), and the Encephalitis-Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus-Diazepam Resistance-Image Abnormalities-Tracheal Intubation (END-IT), have been developed in the past decade to predict the outcomes of patients with SE. Our study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of these scores in predicting the function outcomes both at and after discharge in SE patients. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 55 patients admitted to our neurological intensive care unit between January 2017 and December 2017. The clinical outcomes at discharge and at last follow-up were graded using the modified Rankin Scale. Our research indicated that STESS was the most sensitive and EMSE was the most specific predictive scoring method for SE outcome prediction. On the other hand, END-IT predicted functional outcomes in SE patients poorly. We concluded that STESS and EMSE can accurately predict the functional outcomes in SE patients both at discharge and the follow-up period.

External validation of the epidemiology-based mortality score in status epilepticus in an American intensive care population

INTRODUCTION

Although overall mortality of status epilepticus is high, baseline patient characteristics and co-morbidities may be helpful to predict outcomes and shape treatment decisions. Two previously published scoring systems exist to predict outcomes: the Status Epilepticus Severity Score (STESS) and the Epidemiology-based Mortality Score in Status Epilepticus (EMSE). However, a comparison of the two scores has not previously been completed in an American intensive care unit. We hypothesize that both scores will adequately predict the primary outcome of in-hospital death, but that the EMSE may more accurately predict functional outcomes, and significantly impact treatment decisions for both clinicians and families.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective analysis of all cases of status epilepticus admitted to the Neuro-Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center from 6/1/2014 - 8/31/2015. We collected data on age, comorbidities, EEG findings, and seizure history. The primary outcome measured was in-hospital death; secondary outcomes included length of stay in the NCCU, placement of a tracheostomy and/or a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy upon discharge, and discharge location were used as surrogate markers for outcome severity. A sensitivity and specificity analysis was carried out, in addition to a student's t-test for a comparison of the two scores. ANOVA was completed to compare secondary outcomes RESULTS: Forty-six patients were admitted to the NCCU for management of status epilepticus during June 2014 and January 2016, thirteen of which experienced in-hospital death. The median age of the sample was 60, with approximately half of the sample (52.63%) having 3 or more comorbidities. The sensitivity of both EMSE and STESS were very high (100% and 90% respectively); however, the specificities were very low (28.6% and 42.9% respectively). A student's t-test between those who experienced in-hospital death and those who did not was only significant for EMSE at the p < 0.1 level (p = 0.055). Additionally, mean EMSE scores but not STESS scores, were significantly higher (p < 0.001) for those patients who were discharged to skilled nursing facilities or with hospice than compared to those who were discharged to home or to acute inpatient rehabilitation.

CONCLUSIONS

The EMSE and STESS may be useful to predict outcomes of status epilepticus in populations with few comorbid conditions, but are less helpful when patients have multiple medical problems. Secondly, while neither score may be specific enough to differentiate for the primary outcome of death, their utility may be helpful to predict secondary outcomes that strongly affect clinical decisions. Based on these results, we believe a prospective trial of EMSE and STESS should be carried out to obtain more information on their utility, especially in American patients who may have more relevant comorbidities than in other countries.