Risks of epilepsy

Minimising risk of harm from uncontrolled seizures to the individual and society unpins epilepsy management. The most obvious inherent risk relates to the diagnosis itself; the morbidity and mortality associated from seizures, which by definition are often unpredictable and tend not to reflect situation or circumstance. Seizure-related injuries can affect the individual and/or others, especially if the person with epilepsy is operating a machine or vehicle. Status epilepticus and SUDEP also represent severe life-threatening situations. Other risks include side effects from often the life-long use of anti-seizure medications (ASMs), the incidence and treatment of associated epilepsy co-morbidities such as learning disability and psychiatric co-morbidities and the management of pregnancy complications. Understanding and managing these risks is essential for safety and improving quality of life for patients with epilepsy. …