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Risk Factors for Drug Resistance in Epileptic Children with Age of Onset above Five Years: A Case-Control Study
Irawan Mangunatmadja1, Raden Muhammad Indra2, Dwi Putro Widodo1
1Department of Child Health, Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Tertiary General Hospital-Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia.
Insights
Children over five with epilepsy may face drug resistance. Poor early treatment response and symptomatic causes are key risk factors for this condition.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Neurology
- Epileptology
- Clinical Research
Background:
- Children with epilepsy starting after age five have unique traits and potential resistance factors to antiseizure medications (ASMs).
- Research specifically on this age group's drug resistance is scarce.
Purpose of the Study:
- To pinpoint risk factors for drug resistance in children whose epilepsy began after age five.
- To inform targeted treatment strategies for pediatric epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study compared drug-resistant and drug-responsive children (epilepsy onset >5 years) using the 2010 ILAE classification.
- Data collected included seizure characteristics, illness duration, etiology, seizure types, EEG, brain imaging, and initial treatment response.
Main Results:
- Symptomatic etiology was strongly linked to drug resistance (adjusted OR: 84.71).
- Failure to achieve an early treatment response was also a significant predictor (adjusted OR: 72.55).
Conclusions:
- Symptomatic etiology and a poor initial response to antiseizure medications are independent risk factors for drug resistance.
- These findings highlight critical factors for managing epilepsy in children with later onset.
Background:
Children with epilepsy with onset above five years encompass distinct epidemiological and clinical characteristics that may have specific risk factors for resistance to antiseizure medications (ASMs). Studies on this age group are limited.
Purpose:
To identify risk factors for drug resistance in children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years.
Methods:
A case-control study was conducted on children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years visiting the Pediatric Neurology Clinic of Cipto Mangunkusumo and Mohammad Hoesin Hospital between September 2015 and August 2016. Cases consisted of drug-resistant children while control consisted of drug-responsive children according to 2010 ILAE classification. Risk factors studied include onset, number of seizures, illness duration before treatment, cause, seizure type, status epilepticus, initial and evolution of EEG, brain imaging, and initial treatment response.
Results:
Thirty-two pairs of children were included in the study. After logistic regression analysis, symptomatic etiology and failure to achieve early response to treatment were found to be associated with drug resistance with adjusted OR of 84.71 (95% CI: 5.18-1359.15) and 72.55 (95% CI: 7.08-743.85), respectively.
Conclusion:
Poor initial response to ASM and symptomatic etiology are independent risk factors for drug resistance in children with epilepsy with the age of onset above five years.
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