Epilepsy Treatment Outcome and Its Predictors Among Children Who Had Chronic Follow Up at Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

Abstract

Introduction

Epilepsy is a chronic non-communicable disease of the brain that affects millions of people worldwide. A significant number of children are affected globally, and most live in developing countries, often with physical and cognitive disabilities. Regardless of these factors, epilepsy is poorly controlled, particularly in the developing countries. Thus, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of treatment outcomes and its predictors among pediatrics patients with epilepsy who were followed-up at the Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northeast Ethiopia.

Methods

Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 June 2022 to 30 August 2022. A total of 200 patients with epilepsy were included in this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, and by reviewing medical records. The collected data were entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25.0. Descriptive statistics such as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations were computed. Binary and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with p < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression. In multivariable analysis, adjusted odd ratio with 95% CI and p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

Of 200 pediatric patients with epilepsy, 66 (34.5%) had poor treatment outcomes. In the multivariate analysis, 11–15 years of age (AOR = 4.08; 95% CI = 1.202, 13.848), poor treatment adherence (AOR = 3.21; 95% CI = 1.421, 7.249), history of more seizure frequency before starting treatment (AOR = 4.19; 95% CI = 1.984, 8.834) and history of head injury (AOR = 3.03; 95% CI = 1.502, 6.112) were significantly associated with poor treatment outcomes in pediatric patients with epilepsy.

Conclusion

Significant proportion of pediatric patients with epilepsy had poor treatment outcomes. Therefore, health-care workers should strictly follow patient treatment especially for pediatric epileptic patients’ who have poor treatment adherence, more seizure frequency history, head injury history and whose age were 11–15 years old.

Keywords:

• epilepsy
• treatment outcome
• children
• chronic follow up
• Dessie Comprehensive Specialized Hospital

Abbreviations

AEDs, Antiepileptic drugs; AOR, Adjusted Odds Ratio; CI, Confidence interval; COR, crude odds ratio; DCSH, Dessie comprehensive specialized hospital; EB, Ethiopian birr; IQ, Intelligence quotient; OPD, Outpatient department; SD, Standard deviation; SPSS, Statistical Package for Social Sciences.

Data Sharing Statement

The data-sets used and analyzed during this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Ethical Consideration

Ethical clearance was obtained from Wollo University College of Medicine and Health Science Research Ethical review committee. The ethics reference number is RCSPG-129-14. Communication with hospital administrators was conducted using formal letters. Written informed consent was obtained from all parents or legal guardians of the study participants prior to study commencement after information was provided about the purpose of the study, non-invasiveness of the data collection procedure, confidentiality of the information, and the risks and benefits of the study. Data collectors were read written informed consent in local language for parents or legal guardians who were unable to read/write to get their written informed consent for their children to participate in this study. This study was conducted in accordance with the principle of the Declaration of Helsinki.

Consent for Publication

Not applicable. Individual personal details, images, or videos were not used.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the data collectors, supervisors, and study participants for their valuable contributions to this study.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas, took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest for this work.

Additional information

Funding

No organization funded this study.