PUDUCHERRY: The need for developing ideal coping and communication module for the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy in the country was stressed by Dr A V Srinivasan, Emeritus Professor of Neurology, Tamilnadu MGR Medical University and former professor and head of Madras Institute of Neurology, Madras Medical college
Speaking at a continuing medical education (CME) programme organised by Department of Medical Research, Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Post-graduate Institute on Wednesday, he said, though protocols have been laid down by International League Against Epilepsy, it is being revised constantly to make it appropriate. Even the existing protocols has not percolated to several doctors particularly treating the patients at the Primary care levels as well as several others, except specialists in Neurology and Medicine.
Stressing the importance of correct diagnosis for proper treatment, he expressed the need for videographing a patient during seizures and studying it before arriving at a conclusion. In the context of seizures being epileptic or non-epileptic, he said inappropriate prescription of drugs could lead to complications. If epileptic drugs are prescribed to a non-epileptic patient there could be adverse reactions and affect patient’s intellectual performance.
The main challenge is to make the patient accept the epilepsy disease (due to social stigma associated with the disease not accepted) and make him comply with the treatment. A majority of them discontinue treatment after six months, while 35 per cent of them do not want allopathic treatment due to side effects as medicines have to be taken for long durations ranging from three to 10 years for complete cure.
Earlier, inaugurating the CME, Dr K V Raman, Director Health and Family Welfare stated that Epilepsy has been controlled but not conquered. Protocols though has been laid down, needs to be discussed and deliberated and adopted to effectively address the disease issues.