Association of early general anesthesia with outcome in adults with status epilepticus: A propensity‐matched observational study

General anesthesia (GA) earlier than recommended (as first- or second-line treatment) was recently described to improve status epilepticus (SE) outcome. We aimed to assess the impact of early GA on outcome in matched groups. Data from a multicenter, prospective cohort of 1179 SE episodes in 1049 adults were retrospectively analyzed. Incident SE episodes were categorized as "early anesthesia" (eGA; GA as first- or second-line treatment) or "non-early anesthesia" (neGA; GA after second-line treatment or not at all). Using propensity score matching, eGA episodes were paired 1:4 with neGA episodes. We assessed survival, functional outcomes at discharge (good: modified Rankin Scale = 0-2 or no worsening), SE cessation rate, SE duration, and hospital stay. Among 1049 SE episodes, 55 (5.2%) received eGA, and 994 constituted the neGA group; 220 represented the matched controls. Patients receiving eGA were younger (median = 63, interquartile range [IQR] = 56-76 vs. median = 70, IQR = 54-80 years, p = .004), had deeper consciousness impairment (80% vs. 40% stuporous/comatose, p < .001), and had more severe SE forms (89% vs. 54% generalized convulsive SE/nonconvulsive SE in coma, p < .001). Mortality, functional outcome, SE cessation rate, and duration of SE and hospital stay were similar between the eGA group and matched controls. We conclude that early anesthesia for SE treatment did not influence prognosis.