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Anuszkiewicz K, Stogowski P, Zawadzka M, Waszak P, Sokolewicz E, Dułak NA, Dzwilewski K, Jażdżewska K, Karbowiak K, Karlińska D, Marczak A, Niebrzydowska A, Niebrzydowski B, Pasierbska E, Sadowska A, Szczęsna M, Stanisław Szczęsny P, Szerszenowicz A, Sztramski K, Radziwon J, Tkaczuk M, Ziołkowska K, Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska M. COVID-19 pandemic influence on epilepsy course in pediatric patients. Epilepsy Behav 2022; 129:108581. [PMID: 35203013 PMCID: PMC8784425 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.108581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In 2020, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was declared as a global pandemic. Self-reported stress, anxiety, and insomnia, which are believed to be common triggers for epilepsy, are more likely to occur. We aimed to establish the influence of COVID-19 pandemic itself on changes in the daily life routine related to pandemic on epilepsy course in pediatric patients. The unique form of clinical care which is telemedicine was also taken into consideration. We wanted to evaluate patients' satisfaction with telemedicine and if changing stationary visits into telemedicine influenced epilepsy course in our patients. METHODS Patients, who attended developmental neurology outpatient clinic in the period March-December 2020 were collected. As patients were minors, legal guardians were asked to fill out the questionnaire. Patients were divided according to the outcome into three groups: those with a worsened, stable, or improved course of epilepsy during the pandemic. Appropriate statistical tests for two-group and multi-group comparisons have been implemented. Post hoc p values were also calculated. RESULTS Four hundred and two questionnaires were collected. Most of the patients had a stable course of epilepsy during the pandemic; in 13% of participants an improvement has been observed, worsening of the disease was seen in 16% of patients. Age, sex, type of epilepsy, number of seizure incidents before pandemic, and duration of the disease had no statistically significant connection with changes in the course of the disease. Behavioral changes and altered sleep patterns were found to be more common in the worsened group. Fifty-eight percent of patients were satisfied with telemedicine. Poorer satisfaction was connected with less frequent visits, cancellation of scheduled appointments, and lack of help in case of need in an emergency situation. CONCLUSION Epilepsy course in pediatric patients seems to be stable during COVID-19 pandemic. Sleep disturbances and changes in a child's behavior may be related to increase in seizure frequency. Telemedicine is an effective tool for supervising children with epilepsy. Patients should be informed about possible ways of getting help in urgent cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Anuszkiewicz
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Piotr Stogowski
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marta Zawadzka
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Przemysław Waszak
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Department of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic and Geriatric Disorders, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Sokolewicz
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Natalia Aleksandra Dułak
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Kamil Dzwilewski
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Jażdżewska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Kamila Karbowiak
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Daria Karlińska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Marczak
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Niebrzydowska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Bartosz Niebrzydowski
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ewa Pasierbska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Sadowska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Szczęsna
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Piotr Stanisław Szczęsny
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Anna Szerszenowicz
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Kamil Sztramski
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jakub Radziwon
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Tkaczuk
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Kinga Ziołkowska
- Department of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7 Street, 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
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