Abstracts

Rationale: People with epilepsy represent a diverse population. Due to this heterogeneity, they may be more susceptible to variations in care, which can compromise the quality and safety of their care. However, there is little knowledge about the quality of care among people with epilepsy in hospital. The objective of this study was to examine the rate and types of adverse events (AEs) in those with epilepsy and compare these estimates to patients with other neurological conditions. Methods: Patients admitted to hospital in Alberta, Canada with any of the nine neurological conditions, including epilepsy, were included and identified in the Discharge Abstract Database between 2009 and 2015 using the 10th Canadian adapted version of the International Classification of Disease (ICD-10CA) codes. Validated ICD-10CA algorithms for 18 patient safety indicators were used to identify the AEs. The AE rate was calculated. Regression analysis was used to examine factors associated with having an AE (comorbidities, 7 day re-admission, age and sex) and consequences of having an AE (length of stay and mortality); when appropriate the regression models corrected for age and sex. A p-value of 0.05 was deemed significant. Results: The overall AE rate for those with epilepsy was 7.3 per 100 admissions. The odds of having an AE among those with epilepsy was 0.6 (95%CI: 0.57, 0.63, p < 0.001) compared to those with any of the other 8 neurological conditions. The most common AE among those with epilepsy was infections, followed by respiratory-related AEs and cardiac-related AEs. Age, re-admissions, and comorbidities increased the odds of having an AE in persons with epilepsy, and the other neurological conditions. People with epilepsy who had an AE had an increased length of stay and odds of mortality ?" this finding was consistent in those with any of the 9 neurological conditions. Estimates in those with the other 8 neurological were analyzed and are also presented. Conclusions: This study suggests that those with epilepsy do not have a higher rates of AEs compared to the general hospital population, and that the AE rate among people with epilepsy is lower than the AE rate for many other neurological conditions. This study provides novel and important information regarding the quality and safety of care for people with epilepsy in hospital, which can help guide improvement initiatives. Funding: n/a