Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response
Background: This study was conducted to assess the patterns of prescribing and response to antiseizure medications (ASMs) in patients with epilepsy in Palestine. It also aimed to assess the prevalence of drug-resistant seizures despite adherence to ASMs and the variables that could be associated wit...
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Elsevier
2025-03-01
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025013519 |
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| author | Tasneem Salah Israa Shaikh-Ibrahim Saja Altawil Ahmad Abuhassan Hussam Salameh Ramzi Shawahna |
| author_facet | Tasneem Salah Israa Shaikh-Ibrahim Saja Altawil Ahmad Abuhassan Hussam Salameh Ramzi Shawahna |
| author_sort | Tasneem Salah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: This study was conducted to assess the patterns of prescribing and response to antiseizure medications (ASMs) in patients with epilepsy in Palestine. It also aimed to assess the prevalence of drug-resistant seizures despite adherence to ASMs and the variables that could be associated with the etiology of epilepsy, type of seizures, and response to ASMs among Palestinian patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in different hospitals in the West Bank of Palestine. The data were collected from the medical records of the patients. Results: A total of 378 patients with epilepsy were included. The median age at the onset of seizures was 22.0 [14.0, 39.0] years. The majority of the patients (85.7 %) had generalized seizures. Of the patients, 200 (52.9 %) were initially prescribed ASMs as monotherapy. Later, the majority (91.5 %) of the patients were switched to polytherapy. The prevalence of drug-resistant seizures was 22.0 %. There was a significant association between having drug-resistant seizures with having a lower income level, having other chronic diseases, a history of febrile seizures, having genetic epilepsy, being on initial polytherapy, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and not being on levetiracetam or topiramate. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide important insight into the real-world pharmacotherapy of epilepsy and seizures in the Palestinian practice. The study also established consideration-worthy associations between the etiology of epilepsy and seizures and response to treatment with ASMs. The findings of this study are informative to epileptologists, neurologists, and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with epilepsy. In addition, the findings of this study can be used by decision-makers who might be interested in improving the pharmacotherapy and outcomes of patients with epilepsy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-368dc2f45fce4e92bcf566bc0fba567a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-368dc2f45fce4e92bcf566bc0fba567a2025-08-20T02:41:37ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-03-01118e4297010.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42970Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and responseTasneem Salah0Israa Shaikh-Ibrahim1Saja Altawil2Ahmad Abuhassan3Hussam Salameh4Ramzi Shawahna5Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, PalestineDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, PalestineDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, PalestineDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, Palestine; Corresponding author. Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, PalestineDepartment of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine; Clinical Research Center, An-Najah National University Hospital, Nablus, Palestine; Corresponding author. Department of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.Background: This study was conducted to assess the patterns of prescribing and response to antiseizure medications (ASMs) in patients with epilepsy in Palestine. It also aimed to assess the prevalence of drug-resistant seizures despite adherence to ASMs and the variables that could be associated with the etiology of epilepsy, type of seizures, and response to ASMs among Palestinian patients. Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted in different hospitals in the West Bank of Palestine. The data were collected from the medical records of the patients. Results: A total of 378 patients with epilepsy were included. The median age at the onset of seizures was 22.0 [14.0, 39.0] years. The majority of the patients (85.7 %) had generalized seizures. Of the patients, 200 (52.9 %) were initially prescribed ASMs as monotherapy. Later, the majority (91.5 %) of the patients were switched to polytherapy. The prevalence of drug-resistant seizures was 22.0 %. There was a significant association between having drug-resistant seizures with having a lower income level, having other chronic diseases, a history of febrile seizures, having genetic epilepsy, being on initial polytherapy, carbamazepine, valproic acid, and not being on levetiracetam or topiramate. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide important insight into the real-world pharmacotherapy of epilepsy and seizures in the Palestinian practice. The study also established consideration-worthy associations between the etiology of epilepsy and seizures and response to treatment with ASMs. The findings of this study are informative to epileptologists, neurologists, and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with epilepsy. In addition, the findings of this study can be used by decision-makers who might be interested in improving the pharmacotherapy and outcomes of patients with epilepsy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025013519Antiseizure medicationsEpilepsyOutcome measuresSeizuresType of seizuresResponse to treatment |
| spellingShingle | Tasneem Salah Israa Shaikh-Ibrahim Saja Altawil Ahmad Abuhassan Hussam Salameh Ramzi Shawahna Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response Heliyon Antiseizure medications Epilepsy Outcome measures Seizures Type of seizures Response to treatment |
| title | Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response |
| title_full | Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response |
| title_fullStr | Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response |
| title_short | Pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the Palestinian practice: Patterns of treatments and response |
| title_sort | pharmacotherapy of epilepsy in the palestinian practice patterns of treatments and response |
| topic | Antiseizure medications Epilepsy Outcome measures Seizures Type of seizures Response to treatment |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025013519 |
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