Abstracts

THE SALAMA EPILEPSY STUDY: SEVEN YEARS OF FOLLOW-UP OF EPILEPSY PREVALENCE AND INCIDENCE IN A RURAL COMMUNITY OF HONDURAS

Abstract number : 3.249
Submission category :
Year : 2005
Submission ID : 6055
Source : www.aesnet.org
Presentation date : 12/3/2005 12:00:00 AM
Published date : Dec 2, 2005, 06:00 AM

Authors :
1Rafael Aguilar-Estrada, 2Marco T. Medina, 1Sofia Dubon, 1Arnold Thompson, 2Allan Alvarez, 3Lizandro Martinez, and 2Reyna M. Duron

In a previous population-based study in 1997, in rural Salam[aacute], Olancho determined a prevalence of 23.3/1000 of epilepsy (n=151), of whom 14.4/1000 had active epilepsy (Medina et al, Epilepsia 2005). We carried out a second door-to-door survey in the same community determining prevalence and incidence seven years A medical team administered a second door-to-door survey in April 21th, 2004 using the same methodology of the first epidemiological study performed in April 30th, 1997. Patients recruited in the previous study were evaluated for seizure frequency, complications and mortality. We clinically evaluated the newly diagnosed epilepsy patients Salama had a population for 2004 of 5,395; 134/151 ( 88%) patients with epilepsy in 1997 were found for follow-up and 3 of them had died. Forty-four patients emigrated from the community. Fifty-four new patients with epilepsy were diagnosed between 1998 to 2004. However 23 out of these 54 new epilepsy patients (42%)started their epilepsy in another Honduran community. before to immigrate to Salama. Epilepsy prevalence in 2004 was 27.2/1000, active epilepsy prevalence was 14.8/1000 and inactive epilepsy prevalence was 12.4/1000. Thirty-eight patients out of 90 with active epilepsy in 1997 were seizure free in 2004 and 3 patients out of 51 with inactive epilepsy in 1997 had seizure recurrence by 2004. the average epilepsy incidence between 1998 to 2004 was 142.9/100,000. The Epilepsy prevalence and incidence in Salama rural community, Honduras increased by 2004 compared to 1997 epidemiological survey.Only 42% of patients with active epilepsy in 1997 became seizure after seven years of follow-up.Several factors could explain these findings: Socioeconomical, migratory and sanitary conditions. (Supported by the Secretary of Health, Honduran Neurology Training Program, Horowitz Foundation, World Federation of Neurology.)