Department of Neurology, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Center, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth, Vadodara, India.
Department of Neurology, Dr. G. M. Taori Central India Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, India.
Seizure. 2021 Mar;86:60-67. doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2020.12.025. Epub 2021 Jan 8.
To assess the impact of ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on epilepsy care in India.
We conducted a three-part survey comprising neurologists, people with epilepsy (PWE), and 11 specialized epilepsy centers across India. We sent two separate online survey questionnaires to Indian neurologists and PWE to assess the epilepsy practice, seizures control, and access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected and compared the data concerning the number of PWE cared for and epilepsy procedures performed during the 6 months periods preceding and following COVID-19 lockdown from epilepsy centers.
The survey was completed by 453 neurologists and 325 PWE. One third of the neurologist reported >50 % decline in outdoor visits by PWE and EEG recordings. The cumulative data from 11 centers showed 65-70 % decline in the number of outdoor patients, video-EEG monitoring, and epilepsy surgery. Working in a hospital admitting COVID-19 patients and use of teleconsultation correlated with this decline. Half of PWE had postponed their planned outpatient visits and EEG. Less than 10 % of PWE missed their antiseizure medicines (ASM) or had seizures due to the nonavailability of ASM. Seizure control remained unchanged or improved in 92 % PWE. Half of the neurologists started using teleconsultation during the pandemic. Only 4% of PWE were afflicted with COVID-19 infection.
Despite significant decline in the number of PWE visiting hospitals, their seizure control and access to ASMs were not affected during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Risk of COVID-19 infection in PWE is similar to general population.
评估持续的 COVID-19 大流行对印度癫痫护理的影响。
我们进行了三部分调查，包括印度各地的神经科医生、癫痫患者（PWE）和 11 个专门的癫痫中心。我们向印度神经科医生和 PWE 发送了两份单独的在线调查问卷，以评估 COVID-19 大流行期间的癫痫实践、癫痫发作控制和获得护理的情况。我们收集并比较了来自癫痫中心的在 COVID-19 封锁前后的 6 个月期间照顾的 PWE 数量和进行的癫痫程序的数据。
有 453 名神经科医生和 325 名 PWE 完成了调查。三分之一的神经科医生报告说，PWE 的户外活动和脑电图记录减少了>50%。来自 11 个中心的累积数据显示，户外活动患者、视频脑电图监测和癫痫手术数量减少了 65-70%。在收治 COVID-19 患者的医院工作和使用远程咨询与这种下降相关。一半的 PWE 推迟了他们计划的门诊就诊和脑电图检查。不到 10%的 PWE 因无法获得抗癫痫药物（ASM）而错过 ASM 或癫痫发作。92%的 PWE 癫痫发作控制保持不变或改善。一半的神经科医生在大流行期间开始使用远程咨询。只有 4%的 PWE 感染了 COVID-19。
尽管前往医院就诊的 PWE 人数大幅减少，但在印度 COVID-19 大流行期间，他们的癫痫发作控制和获得 ASM 的情况并未受到影响。PWE 感染 COVID-19 的风险与一般人群相似。
