Objectives
To provide information on the effect of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on people with epilepsy and provide consensus recommendations on how to provide the best possible care for people with epilepsy while avoiding visits to urgent care facilities and hospitalizations during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Methods
The authors developed consensus statements in 2 sections. The first was "How should we/clinicians modify our clinical care pathway for people with epilepsy during the COVID-19 pandemic?" The second was "What general advice should we give to people with epilepsy during this crisis? The authors individually scored statements on a scale of -10 (strongly disagree) to +10 (strongly agree). Five of 11 recommendations for physicians and 3/5 recommendations for individuals/families were rated by all the authors as 7 or above (strongly agree) on the first round of rating. Subsequently, a teleconference was held where statements for which there was a lack of strong consensus were revised.
Results
After revision, all consensus recommendations received a score of 7 or above. The recommendations focus on administration of as much care as possible at home to keep people with epilepsy out of health care facilities, where they are likely to encounter COVID-19 (including strategies for rescue therapy), as well as minimization of risk of seizure exacerbation through adherence, and through ensuring a regular supply of medication. We also provide helpful links to additional helpful information for people with epilepsy and health providers.
Conclusion
These recommendations may help health care professionals provide optimal care to people with epilepsy during the coronavirus pandemic.
[1]NYU, Dept Neurol, NYU Grossman Sch Med, New York, NY 10003 USA.
[2]Scottish Epilepsy Initiat, Int Bur Epilepsy, Epilepsy Unit, Glasgow, Lanark, Scotland.
[3]Hosp JP Garrahan, Neurol, Buenos Aires, AR USA.
[4]NYU Grossman Sch Med, Dept Neurol, New York, NY USA.
[5]Fudan Univ, Inst Neurol, Huashan Hosp, Shanghai, Peoples R China.
[6]Cleveland Clin, Epilepsy Ctr, Cleveland, OH 44106 USA.
[7]Icahn Sch Med Mt Sinai, Dept Neurol, New York, NY 10029 USA.
[8]Univ Miami, Div Epilepsy, Dept Neurol, Miller Sch Med, Coral Gables, FL 33124 USA.
[9]Univ Cincinnati, Cincinnati Childrens Hosp Med Ctr, Sch Med, Cincinnati, OH 45221 USA.
[10]KEMRI Wellcome Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
[11]Univ Oxford, Dept Psychiat, Oxford, England.
[12]Harvard Med Sch, Boston Childrens Hosp, Dept Neurol, Div Epilepsy & Clin Neurophysiol, Boston, MA 02115 USA.
[13]Harvard Med Sch, Brigham & Womens Hosp, Boston, MA 02115 USA.
[14]Univ Pavia, Dept Internal Med & Therapeut, Pavia, Italy.
[15]UCL Queen Sq Inst Neurol, London, England.
[16]Stichting Epilepsie Instelligen Nederland SEIN, Heemstede, Netherlands.
[17]Univ Melbourne, Austin Childrens Hosp, Florey Childrens Res Inst, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
[18]Univ Melbourne, Austin Childrens Hosp, Murdoch Childrens Res Inst, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
[19]Univ Melbourne, Royal Childrens Hosp, Florey Childrens Res Inst, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
[20]Univ Melbourne, Royal Childrens Hosp, Murdoch Childrens Res Inst, Melbourne, Vic, Australia.
[21]Dayanand Med Coll, Ludhiana, Punjab, India.
[22]Matthews Friends Ketogen Dietary Therapies, London, England.
[23]Red Cross War Mem Childrens Hosp, Dept Paediat Neurol, Neurosci Inst, Cape Town, South Africa.
[24]Great Ormond St Hosp Sick Children, UCL NIHR BRC Great Ormond St Inst Child Hlth, London, England.
[25]Young Epilepsy, ERN EpiCARE, Lingfield, England.
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