Persistent status epilepticus (SE) is a common life-threatening neurological condition. Early on, the duration of SE was defined as 1 h. Later animal experiments and clinical studies showed that seizures lasting more than 30 min showed pathological damage to neurons and a poor prognosis. Therefore, the duration of SE was shortened from 1h to 30 min. In 1993, the American Epilepsy Working Group clearly proposed that seizures lasting longer than 30 min or more than 2 consecutive seizures with no recovery of consciousness between seizures are defined as SE. There is no gender difference or age limit for SE, but it is most frequent in pediatric and elderly people. The main cause of SE in pediatric patients is perinatal hypoxia and metabolic disorders, while in the elderly it is focal cerebral ischemia. The immediate causes of death are progressive blood pressure and decreased heart rate; cerebral ischemia and hypoxia, cerebral edema and brain herniation. In SE, the electrical activity is abnormal throughout the cerebral cortex (epileptiform potentials are issued), and the abnormal electrical activity can spread instantaneously throughout the cerebral cortex or can start locally and then spread throughout the cerebral cortex. The spread of abnormal electrical activity in the focal area can be observed by EEG monitoring, with clinical manifestations of rhythmic muscle tonicity and clonus. neuronal damage is irreversible after up to 60 min of SE. Pathological histology revealed neuronal damage and decreased number of neurons in the neocortex, hippocampus, thalamus and cerebellum of the SE deceased. In addition, cerebral edema due to hypoxia is present in almost all SEs. To avoid the appearance of SE, please ask your friends with epilepsy to do their best to avoid triggers (e.g., trauma, overwork, alcohol consumption, non-standard AEDs treatment, etc.) and return to a simple life. In case of SE, family members should do their best to turn the patient’s head to the side and clear the secretions from the mouth in the first instance to prevent aspiration and suffocation. Use a towel or cotton, gauze of winding into a tongue depressor pad between the upper and lower molars to prevent the tongue and cheek bite, keep breathing open, and send to the hospital as soon as possible for emergency treatment.