Herath HMMTB, Withana M, Gamage R, Rodrigo C. Is there a delay in seeking medical care after the first seizure in "resource limited settings": a pilot study from Sri Lanka.
BMC Res Notes 2018;
11:774. [PMID:
30373663 PMCID:
PMC6206828 DOI:
10.1186/s13104-018-3887-3]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives
Current guidelines suggest that patients presenting with the first seizure should be assessed by a specialist, preferably with investigations such as electroencephalography and imaging to reach a definitive diagnosis. We conducted a cross sectional study among patients with confirmed epilepsy, at a tertiary level neurology clinic in Sri Lanka with the aim of assessing delays in first contact with a medical doctor and in performing key investigations after the first seizure.
Results
Majority had sought medical attention within 24 h of the first seizure (71.2%) and had seen a specialist within the 1st week since the seizure (61%). Also a significant proportion had completed key investigations such as electroencephalography (63.2%) and brain imaging within a month (51%) since the first medical consultation. Of many socio-demographic and illness related factors examined, only a non-generalized tonic–clonic presentation was significantly associated with delay in seeking medical help.
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