ABSTRACT
Pediatric Status Epilepticus (SE) is an emergency situation with high morbidity and mortality that requires early and aggressive management. The minimum time criterion to define SE was reduced from 30 to 5 minutes, defined as continuous seizure activity or rapidly recurrent seizures without resumption of consciousness for more than 5 minutes. This definition considers that seizures that persist for > 5 minutes are likely to do so for more than 30 min. Those that persist for more than 30 minutes are more difficult to treat. Refractory SE is the condition that extends beyond 60-120 minutes and requires anesthetic management. Super-refractory SE is the state of no response to anesthetic management or relapse during withdrawal of these drugs. The aim of this review is to provide and update on convulsive SE concepts, pathophysiology, etiology, available antiepileptic treatment and propose a rational management scheme. A literature search of articles published between January 1993 and January 2013, focused on pediatric population was performed. The evidence about management in children is limited, mostly corresponds to case series of patients grouped by diagnosis, mainly adults. These publications show treatment alternatives such as immunotherapy, ketogenic diet, surgery and hypothermia. A 35% mortality, 26% of neurological sequelae and 35% of recovery to baseline condition is described on patients evolution.