Using multivariate regression analysis, we examined risk factors for fatality and neurological sequelae after status epilepticus (SE) in children. Possible risk factors included sex, age at onset, the cause of SE, pyrexia, asthmatic attack during SE, past history of seizure, predisposing neurological abnormality, seizure duration, type of seizure, and medication with theophylline. Consecutive patients with SE, aged 1 month to 18 years, who were referred to Tottori University Hospital from 1984 to 2002 were reviewed. Of the 234 patients enrolled, 45 patients (19.2 %) showed poor outcomes, namely early death in 9 and neurological sequela in 36. Acute neurological insult and progressive neurological disease as the cause of SE were very significantly related to poor outcome (OR = 33.68, p = 0.000). We excluded 21 patients with the etiology of acute neurological insult and progressive neurological disease and then reanalyzed risk factors in the remaining 213 patients. Twenty-nine patients (13.6 %) showed poor outcome, namely early death in 6 and neurological sequela in 23. Seizure duration of more than 2 hours (OR = 12.73, p = 0.000) and moderate to severe asthmatic attack (OR = 31.61, p = 0.010) were associated with poor outcome. These results indicate that long-lasting seizure activity and asthmatic attack can exacerbate SE-associated brain injury.