Assessment of the knowledge level of physicians regarding the management of acute seizures in children and adolescents
Müge Ayanoğlu, Sercan Öztürk, Ayşe Tosun
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge level of physicians regarding acute management of seizures in pediatric patients. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically to physicians. The participants were divided into 3 groups according to estimated number of patients managed by the physician due to acute seizures per year; i) group-1: ≤10, ii) group-2: 11-50, iii) group-3: ≥51. Also, the participants were categorized whether they were pediatricians or not. Demographical features, and some details regarding first- and second-line therapy were questioned. Rates of correct answers were compared between the groups. Results: A total of 400 physicians responded to the questionnaire. Precisely, 74.5% of participants were pediatricians (Table-I). Table-II and Table-III present the rates of answers. Rates of correct answers to questions of the maximum number of benzodiazepines in case of ongoing seizures (p<0.001), intravenous diazepam dose (p=0.017), diazepam infusion time (p=0.034), levetiracetam dose (p=0.003), phenytoin dose (p>0.001), and phenytoin infusion time (p=0.003) were significantly higher in group-3 (Table-IV). Rates of correct answers to questions regarding the approach to patients who presented during the postictal period (p<0.001), the time point t1 for tonic-clonic SE (p=0.07), the maximum number of benzodiazepines in case of ongoing seizures (p<0.001), diazepam infusion time (p<0.001), levetiracetam dose (p<0.001), levetiracetam infusion time (p<0.001), phenytoin dose (p<0.001), co-administered liquid for phenytoin (p=0.043), and phenytoin infusion time (p<0.001) were significantly higher in pediatricians (Table-V). Conclusion: Since acute seizures are urgent situations that should be known by every physician, post-graduation education programs focusing on the least-known and important details are needed.
Keywords: seizures, pediatricians, knowledge, children, adolescents
Müge Ayanoğlu
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Sercan Öztürk
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Ayşe Tosun
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Objective: To evaluate the knowledge level of physicians regarding acute management of seizures in pediatric patients. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was distributed electronically to physicians. The participants were divided into 3 groups according to estimated number of patients managed by the physician due to acute seizures per year; i) group-1: ≤10, ii) group-2: 11-50, iii) group-3: ≥51. Also, the participants were categorized whether they were pediatricians or not. Demographical features, and some details regarding first- and second-line therapy were questioned. Rates of correct answers were compared between the groups. Results: A total of 400 physicians responded to the questionnaire. Precisely, 74.5% of participants were pediatricians (Table-I). Table-II and Table-III present the rates of answers. Rates of correct answers to questions of the maximum number of benzodiazepines in case of ongoing seizures (p<0.001), intravenous diazepam dose (p=0.017), diazepam infusion time (p=0.034), levetiracetam dose (p=0.003), phenytoin dose (p>0.001), and phenytoin infusion time (p=0.003) were significantly higher in group-3 (Table-IV). Rates of correct answers to questions regarding the approach to patients who presented during the postictal period (p<0.001), the time point t1 for tonic-clonic SE (p=0.07), the maximum number of benzodiazepines in case of ongoing seizures (p<0.001), diazepam infusion time (p<0.001), levetiracetam dose (p<0.001), levetiracetam infusion time (p<0.001), phenytoin dose (p<0.001), co-administered liquid for phenytoin (p=0.043), and phenytoin infusion time (p<0.001) were significantly higher in pediatricians (Table-V). Conclusion: Since acute seizures are urgent situations that should be known by every physician, post-graduation education programs focusing on the least-known and important details are needed.
Keywords: seizures, pediatricians, knowledge, children, adolescents
Müge Ayanoğlu
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Sercan Öztürk
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Ayşe Tosun
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine
Turkey
Müge Ayanoğlu
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine Turkey
Adnan Menderes University, School of Medicine Turkey