Sociodemographic factors associated with the first administration of anti-seizure medication in patients with focal epilepsy in Western China

BMC Neurology

Qiong Zhu¹  Lili Yang¹  Liang Yu¹  Hongbin Sun¹  Shuai Ma¹  Yi Guo²  Guangzong Li²  Zhonghua Lin³ 

[1] Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China;Department of Neurology, The Sixth People’s Hospital of Chengdu;Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine of Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China;

关键词: Initial treatment;    Anti-seizure medications;    Sociodemographic factors;    Focal epilepsy;    Western China;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12883-021-02282-w

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Epilepsy is a severe chronic neurologic disease with a prevalence of 0.7% worldwide; anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment. The effects of sociodemographic factors on the characteristics of initial treatment in patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy in Western China are unknown. This study was conducted to explore sociodemographic factors associated with initial treatment characteristics. Methods Patients with focal epilepsy on continuous ASM treatment who visited to our epilepsy center at Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were recruited. Data on initial treatment status and sociodemographic variables were obtained from the patients with a questionnaire designed by our researchers. We examined whether sociodemographic factors were associated with epileptic patients’ access to neurologists and prescriptions of individual ASMs. Results A total of 569 patients completed this study. We found that patients with a higher education level, aged < 16 years, and with a higher household disposable income were more likely to receive treatment from a neurologist than their counterparts. Patients with a lower personal income level and who were treated at a junior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for carbamazepine, and those who were younger than 16 years were less likely to receive prescriptions for carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. Patients with a higher education level, with a higher household disposable income level, who were younger than 16 years, and who were treated at a senior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for levetiracetam than their counterparts. Adult, female patients with focal epilepsy treated at a senior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for lamotrigine. Conclusions This observation suggests that sociodemographic characteristics are associated with access to neurologists and prescriptions of individual antiepileptic drugs. These data may help public health officials establish guidelines for doctors and distribute resources according to the needs of different patient groups.

【 授权许可】

Unknown