METHODS: A web-based survey was sent to clinicians involved in the management of SE, across all states and at all levels of healthcare services.
RESULTS: A total of 158 responses were received from 104 health facilities, including 23 tertiary government hospitals (95.8% of all government tertiary hospitals in Malaysia), 4 (80.0%) universities, 14 (6.7%) private, 15 (11.5%) district hospitals and 21 clinics. Intravenous (IV) diazepam was available in 14 (93.3%) district and 33 (80.5%) tertiary hospitals for prehospital management. Non-IV benzodiazepine (rectal diazepam and intramuscular midazolam) was not widely available in prehospital services (75.8% and 51.5%). Intramuscular midazolam was underutilised (60.0% in district and 65.9% in tertiary hospitals). IV sodium valproate and levetiracetam were only available in 66.7% and 53.3% of the district hospitals, respectively. Electroencephalogram (EEG) services were available in only 26.7% of the district hospitals. Non-pharmacological therapies such as ketogenic diet, electroconvulsive therapy, and therapeutic hypothermia were not available in most district and tertiary hospitals for refractory and super-refractory SE.
CONCLUSIONS: We identified several gaps in the current practice of SE management, including limited availability and underutilization of non-IV midazolam in prehospital services, underutilization of non-IV midazolam and other second-line ASMs, and lack of EEG monitoring in district hospitals and limited treatment options for refractory and super-refractory SE in tertiary hospitals.
METHODS: 322 participants with JME and 126 age and gender-matched controls completed the Barratt's Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-brief) alongside information on seizure history and AED use. We compared group BIS-brief scores and assessed associations of JME BIS-brief scores with seizure characteristics and AED adverse effects.
RESULTS: The mean BIS-brief score in JME was 18.1 ± 4.4 compared with 16.2 ± 4.1 in controls (P = 0.0007). Elevated impulsivity was associated with male gender (P = 0.027), frequent absence seizures (P = 0.0004) and lack of morning predominance of myoclonus (P = 0.008). High impulsivity significantly increased the odds of a psychiatric adverse event on levetiracetam (P = 0.036), but not any other psychiatric or somatic adverse effects.
INTERPRETATION: Trait impulsivity is elevated in JME and comparable to scores in personality and neurotic disorders. Increased seizure frequency and absence of circadian seizure pattern moderate BIS score, suggesting disruption of both cortico-striatal and thalamocortical networks as a shared mechanism between seizures and impulsivity in JME. These findings warrant consideration of impulsivity as a distinct target of intervention, and as a stratifying factor for AED treatment in JME, and perhaps other types of epilepsy. The role of impulsivity in treatment adherence and psychosocial outcome requires further investigation.
METHODS: A case-control study was performed to detect HLA loci involved in aromatic antiepileptic drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome in a southern Han Chinese population. Between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2015, 91 cases of Stevens-Johnson syndrome induced by aromatic antiepileptic drugs and 322 matched drug-tolerant controls were enrolled from 8 centers. Important genotypes were replicated in cases with maculopapular eruption and in the meta-analyses of data from other populations. Sequence-based typing determined the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, and HLA-DRB1 genotypes.
RESULTS: HLA-B*15:02 was confirmed as strongly associated with carbamazepine-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome (p = 5.63 × 10(-15)). In addition, HLA-A*24:02 was associated significantly with Stevens-Johnson syndrome induced by the aromatic antiepileptic drugs as a group (p = 1.02 × 10(-5)) and by individual drugs (carbamazepine p = 0.015, lamotrigine p = 0.005, phenytoin p = 0.027). Logistic regression analysis revealed a multiplicative interaction between HLA-B*15:02 and HLA-A*24:02. Positivity for HLA-A*24:02 and/or HLA-B*15:02 showed a sensitivity of 72.5% and a specificity of 69.0%. The presence of HLA-A*24:02 in cases with maculopapular exanthema was also significantly higher than in controls (p = 0.023). Meta-analysis of data from Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Norway, and China revealed a similar association.
CONCLUSIONS: HLA-A*24:02 is a common genetic risk factor for cutaneous adverse reactions induced by aromatic antiepileptic drugs in the southern Han Chinese and possibly other ethnic populations. Pretreatment screening is recommended for people in southern China.