Knowledge, attitude and practice about [Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients] among neurologists and paediatricians

ABSTRACT

Neurologists and pediatricians in Pakistan are generally not aware of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients and do they discuss this issue with the patients. To assess the Knowledge Attitude and Practices about [Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy Patients] among neurologists and pediatricians. Department of Neurology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, June 2005. Neurologists and pediatricians of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi were given a consent form to participate in the study. It was an interview-based study where a questionnaire was applied to the participants. There were 6 questions pertaining to the awareness about sudden unexpected death in epilepsy patients; about discussing the death with the patients and raising issue of sudden death in the discussion of epilepsy management. A total of 41 doctors [26 neurologists and 15 pediatricians] participated in the study. Amongst the neurologists, 13 [50%] were aware of and 6 [23.1%] had seen a case of unexpected death in epilepsy patients. Amongst the pediatricians, only 2 [13.3%] knew about it and had seen a case of sudden death. Overall 15/41[36.6%] doctors were aware of and 8/41 [19.5%] had seen a case of unexpected death in epilepsy patients. The patients of the above doctors never asked about it, except for one relative of a patient, who had lived abroad. Most of the doctors had never discussed this issue with the patients and none of them raised this issue in discussion about epilepsy management. The terminology of unexpected death in epilepsy patients was not known to many doctors and there is a need to increase awareness about this in doctors and general public