[Clinical workload at the outpatient neuropediatric clinic].

OBJECTIVE

To obtain rapidly the basic clinical information from individual patients and about the total practice in a hospital based neuropediatric out patient clinic.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A database file was designed, performed by the medical staff during or immediately after the patients visit. A descriptive study of data obtained through 1995 is reported.

RESULTS

1,226 patients visited the clinic during the whole year, generating 2,315 visits. The percentage of new patients is larger than that of other pediatric specialties, except for pediatric cardiology, but it is similar to that reported by adult neurological patients. Age distribution show a bimodal curve with a peak during the first year of age and a second one at 11 years. Geographic distribution is similar to that of other outpatient clinics of our center. The most frequent motive, annually, to consult was headache followed by suspected epilepsy. The most frequent diagnoses in new patients were epilepsy, migraine and tension type headaches. Prevalence of diagnosis in the total number of patients visited showed the highest frequency of epilepsy, followed by mental retardation and cerebral palsy. EEG was study most often performed, and 46% of total number of patients had neuroimaging studies. The pharmacological agent used in the largest number of patients was sodium valproate while phenobarbital was the product most often discontinued. Non antiepileptic drugs were used in a comparative small number of cases. The percentage of patients discharged for chronic and severe diseases was 20% annually, while it amounted to 40% in new patients.

CONCLUSIONS

This type of information allows doctors to plan resources needed at the clinic and by the patients, but it is not appropriate for other tasks belonging to the management area, since it would require a larger infrastructure than the one usually provided at the outpatient clinic.