This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
In “Assessment and effect of a gap between new-onset epilepsy diagnosis and treatment in the US,” Kalilani et al. retrospectively reviewed claims data to determine the percentage of patients diagnosed with epilepsy who remained off antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) up to 3 years after diagnosis and the incidence of medical events and healthcare resource utilization for patients with epilepsy who were not prescribed AEDs. They found that one-third of patients diagnosed with epilepsy were untreated up to 3 years after diagnosis; this was associated with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.2 (1.2–1.3) for medical events, 2.3 (2.2–2.3) for hospitalizations, and 2.8 (2.7–2.9) for emergency room visits. Sethi notes that the lack of treatment can be attributed to the inability to predict a given patient's course and desire to avoid unnecessarily subjecting patients to a lengthy regimen of AEDs and their associated side effects. Kalilani et al. agree with this hypothesis but emphasize their belief that the morbidity and mortality rate among patients diagnosed with epilepsy who are untreated is not acceptable and that clinicians must be aware of the consequences of delaying treatment.
In “Assessment and effect of a gap between new-onset epilepsy diagnosis and treatment in the US,” Kalilani et al. retrospectively reviewed claims data to determine the percentage of patients diagnosed with epilepsy who remained off antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) up to 3 years after diagnosis and the incidence of medical events and healthcare resource utilization for patients with epilepsy who were not prescribed AEDs. They found that one-third of patients diagnosed with epilepsy were untreated up to 3 years after diagnosis; this was associated with an adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.2 (1.2–1.3) for medical events, 2.3 (2.2–2.3) for hospitalizations, and 2.8 (2.7–2.9) for emergency room visits. Sethi notes that the lack of treatment can be attributed to the inability to predict a given patient's course and desire to avoid unnecessarily subjecting patients to a lengthy regimen of AEDs and their associated side effects. Kalilani et al. agree with this hypothesis but emphasize their belief that the morbidity and mortality rate among patients diagnosed with epilepsy who are untreated is not acceptable and that clinicians must be aware of the consequences of delaying treatment.
Footnotes
Author disclosures are available upon request (journal{at}neurology.org).
- Received January 17, 2020.
- Accepted in final form January 15, 2020.
- © 2020 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Alert Me
Recommended articles
Assessment and effect of a gap between new-onset epilepsy diagnosis and treatment in the US
Generic antiepileptic drugs and associated medical resource utilization in the United States
Nonadherence to antiepileptic drugs and increased mortality
Clinical consequences of generic substitution of lamotrigine for patients with epilepsy