[A descriptive epidemiological study of a neurological outpatient clinic]

To evaluate the clinical, diagnostic, therapeutic and functional aspects of a Neurology Outpatient Clinic.

An epidemiological survey was made of 552 neurology patients first seen in the Neurology Outpatient Clinic during a three month period.

There was a predominance of women (57.6%). The average age was 45.1 years in both sexes. 84.7% of the patients were sent by their family doctor. There was an average wait of nine days. Complementary investigations were asked for in 56% of the patients (cerebral CT scan in 13.7%, MR in 5%, EEG in 21%, ENG-EMG in 5.7%). The diagnostic groups were headache 30%, followed by vascular pathology (11.7%); psychiatric, syncopes, extrapyramidal syndromes, epilepsy and vertigo each made up 6-7% of the total. 53% of patients attending for the first time received no treatment. The most commonly used drugs were: calcium antagonists (20%), antidepressives (15%), antiepileptics (10%), platelet antiaggregants (8.4%), anti-Parkinson drugs (7.3%) and beta-blockers (4.6%).

Since there is a great demand for neurological attention (as with other specialties) more neurologists are required. Headache was the commonest reason for consultation. Improved selection of the patients, particularly the psychiatric patients and those with psychosomatic pathology, would considerably reduce the number of patients seen.