Understanding SUDEP.

What SUDEP means

SUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of a person with epilepsy when no other cause is found. It is difficult to discuss, but informed conversations can help families ask about individual risk and safety strategies.

Talk with the care team

Risk is not the same for everyone. General risk is associated with factors including uncontrolled generalized tonic-clonic seizures and seizures during sleep. A qualified clinician can explain how this information applies to an individual.

Questions worth asking

• What is my or my loved one’s individual SUDEP risk?
• How can seizure control and medication adherence reduce risk?
• What should our nighttime safety plan include?
• Could a monitoring or alerting device be appropriate?
• When should the seizure action plan be updated?