PURPOSE: Sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is uncommon. Discussing 
the risk of SUDEP can be difficult, particularly in those where the risk is 
considered low, and previous studies have suggested that clinical practice 
varies widely. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) suggest 
information on SUDEP is "essential" and National Institute of Clinical 
Excellence (NICE) recommend that "tailored information on the person's relative 
risk of SUDEP should be part of the counselling process…". The study aimed to 
evaluate if discussion of SUDEP risk is being documented in clinical records and 
to determine if there is an association between documented discussion and risk 
factors for SUDEP.
METHODS: A retrospective case note review was undertaken in those with an 
established diagnosis of epilepsy attending clinic between 1st January 2009 and 
30th June 2009.
RESULTS: Overall, a documented SUDEP discussion was noted in 14/345 (4%) cases. 
Patients were statistically more likely to have a documented SUDEP discussion if 
they had ongoing generalised tonic-clonic seizures, with a trend also towards 
informing those non-compliant with medication.
CONCLUSION: Patients were more likely to be informed of SUDEP if they had 
potentially modifiable risk factors identified. There was, however, no 
documented evidence to suggest that SUDEP is being discussed in the majority of 
cases.