Impact of a rapid systemic guide on pediatric patients with suspicion of epilepsy

Objectives

Increase the percentage of etiological diagnosis of epilepsy (according to the classification by the 2010 ILAE) using a systematic quick guide for pediatric patients with suspected epilepsy.

Methods

Ambispective cohort study. Patients under 16 years old with suspected epilepsy were studied, and a systematic quick guide was applied to the prospective group, and later the two groups were compared. It was a convenience sample, with a study period of one year for both groups.

Results

The prospective group was 120 patients and the retrospective group 71 patients. Comparing the epileptic diagnosis by etiology groups, in the prospective group (only outpatient patients), 3.3% had epilepsy of an unknown cause, 55% had epilepsy of a genetic cause, 36.7% had epilepsy of a structural/metabolic cause, and 5% had conditions that are not epilepsy itself. Meanwhile in the retrospective group, 52.1% had epilepsy of an unknown cause, 11.3% had epilepsy of a genetic cause, and 36.6% had epilepsy of a structural/metabolic cause (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Compared to other similar studies, the etiological percentages of epilepsy increased. Using the systematic quick guide proposed, the percentage of etiological definitions of epilepsy was increased in pediatric patients.