ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the current management of pediatric epileptic seizures in non-hospital settings and the efficacy of early therapeutic intervention with rescue medication in Japan. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was based on an online survey of caregivers of pediatric patients with epilepsy. The survey consisted of questions regarding seizure frequency and symptoms, the use of rescue medication, and emergency medical care. Statistical analyses were performed to evaluate the association between the time to rescue medication administration and seizure resolution. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 1147 caregivers of pediatric patients with epilepsy. Of the patients described in the study, 98.5 % had been prescribed anti-seizure medication, 95.3 % had more than a few seizures per year, and 90.3 % used rescue medication. The time to seizure resolution was significantly reduced when rescue medication was administered early. Overall, 28.4 % of the patients required emergency transport to hospital, which increased disruption to the lives of caregivers, who returned to their normal activities after an average of 17.2 h. CONCLUSION: Emergency transport of patients places a significant burden on caregivers. Earlier administration of rescue medications is associated with a reduction in the need for emergency room visits, which reduces the burden on the patient as well as the caregiver.
ABSTRACT
Patients with epilepsy have various concerns of daily living, such as procuring a driver's license, work, pregnancy, childbirth, and side effects of medications, but they strongly hope that the severity of the seizures they experience can be reduced. Reducing the severity of seizures using antiepileptic drugs is important for leading a social life. Therefore, accurate seizure management is required to improve the quality of life (QOL) of patients with epilepsy. To help solve this problem, we created a smartphone application named "nanacara" that easily records epileptic seizures.
