Determinants of nutritional status and outcome in adults with RCSE: a retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the association between nutritional characteristics in patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled 73 patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus over 18 years of age at the West China Hospital between January 2017 and May 2019. All patients met the 2016 International League Against Epilepsy diagnostic criteria for refractory convulsive status epilepticus. A logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between malnutrition and refractory convulsive status epilepticus. RESULTS: Of the 73 patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus, 33 (45.21 %) suffered from malnutrition during hospitalization, and duration of hospitalization in days (OR = 1.251; 95 % CI,–1.067–1.384; P = 0.007), nasal feeding (OR = 22.623; 95 % CI: 1.091-286.899; P = 0.013), and malnutrition on admission (OR = 30.760; 95 % CI: 1.064–89.797; P = 0.046) were significantly associated with malnutrition in patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus. CONCLUSIONS: Malnutrition is a common complication during hospitalization in patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus. The duration of hospitalization (days), nasal feeding, and malnutrition at admission are associated with malnutrition in patients with refractory convulsive status epilepticus. Further longitudinal studies are needed to identify the relationship between refractory convulsive status epilepticus and adverse outcomes.