tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Acta Neurol Scand
. 2020 Jul 6.
doi: 10.1111/ane.13310. Online ahead of print.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iranian Patients With Epilepsy
Ali A Asadi-Pooya[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mohsen Farazdaghi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mehdi Bazrafshan[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on patients' perceptions of hardship in obtaining their drugs and if this pandemic and the social restrictions in response to that has resulted in any changes in their seizure control status. We also investigated factors potentially associated with the perceptions of difficulty in obtaining their drugs (e.g., polytherapy vs. monotherapy, taking imported drugs, and seizure status worsening).
Methods: We surveyed a random sample of patients with epilepsy, who were registered in our database at Shiraz Epilepsy Center, Iran, on their perceptions on two issues: What has been your experience on obtaining your antiseizure medications in the past four weeks (compared to before)? Have you experienced any changes in your seizure control status in the past four weeks?
Results: We included 100 patients (53 male and 47 female patients). In response to the question "Have you had any difficulties in the past 4 weeks to obtain your drugs?", 31 people (31%) expressed hardship obtaining their drugs. In response to the question "How has been your seizure control status compared with before?", six people (6%) expressed worsening of their seizure control status in the past 4 weeks. None of the patients reported symptoms of coronavirus infection.
Conclusion: About one-third of patients with epilepsy expressed significant hardship obtaining their drugs after the intensification of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. The current COVID-19 pandemic could be considered as a major shock to a nation that has already been under significant pressure (i.e., Iran).
Keywords: COVID; Coronavirus; Epilepsy; Pandemic; Seizure.
. 2020 Jul 6.
doi: 10.1111/ane.13310. Online ahead of print.
Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Iranian Patients With Epilepsy
Ali A Asadi-Pooya[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Mohsen Farazdaghi[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Mehdi Bazrafshan[SUP] 1 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 32632917
- DOI: 10.1111/ane.13310
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on patients' perceptions of hardship in obtaining their drugs and if this pandemic and the social restrictions in response to that has resulted in any changes in their seizure control status. We also investigated factors potentially associated with the perceptions of difficulty in obtaining their drugs (e.g., polytherapy vs. monotherapy, taking imported drugs, and seizure status worsening).
Methods: We surveyed a random sample of patients with epilepsy, who were registered in our database at Shiraz Epilepsy Center, Iran, on their perceptions on two issues: What has been your experience on obtaining your antiseizure medications in the past four weeks (compared to before)? Have you experienced any changes in your seizure control status in the past four weeks?
Results: We included 100 patients (53 male and 47 female patients). In response to the question "Have you had any difficulties in the past 4 weeks to obtain your drugs?", 31 people (31%) expressed hardship obtaining their drugs. In response to the question "How has been your seizure control status compared with before?", six people (6%) expressed worsening of their seizure control status in the past 4 weeks. None of the patients reported symptoms of coronavirus infection.
Conclusion: About one-third of patients with epilepsy expressed significant hardship obtaining their drugs after the intensification of the COVID-19 outbreak in Iran. The current COVID-19 pandemic could be considered as a major shock to a nation that has already been under significant pressure (i.e., Iran).
Keywords: COVID; Coronavirus; Epilepsy; Pandemic; Seizure.