OBJECTIVE: To know regarding the epilepsy: the epidemiology of the direct or indirect causes of the deaths; inferences and critics on data about mortality from death certificates and risk factors for the deaths. To reflect on the recommendations/warnings about the risk of preventable death in patients. METHODS: Review based on articles published mainly in the last three years obtained from search in the Pubmed with the describers epilepsy and mortality in the headings. Added more references on mortality/death certificates, suicidal ideation and prophylaxis of preventable deaths (survey and measures). RESULTS: The studies are those: based on the Mortality Database of the Brazilian Ministry of Health; about main factors of risk for premature death in people with epilepsy; about mortality related to the epilepsy (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy - SUDEP, seizure and "status epilepticus", suicide, accident, surgery for epilepsy, vagal nerve stimulation and pregnancy); about unrelated mortality from the epilepsy (mainly, neoplasias, cerebrovascular disease, coronary artery disease and respiratory infection); about preventable deaths prophylaxis. CONCLUSIONS: The mortality among people with epilepsy is higher than that of the general population. The question of the increased mortality, in the postoperative period of the surgery for epilepsy, is not yet answered. The suicide occurs more often, particularly in people with refractory epilepsy and/or psychiatric comorbidities. SUDEP is an epilepsy-related phenomenon, multicausal and with higher occurrence in epileptic young people. Preventable deaths prophylaxis should be carried out by the individualization, to each patient, of the provided information.
Epilepsy; mortality; sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
