Prateek Kumar Panda|Indar Kumar Sharawat|Pankaj Kumar Panda|Indar Kumar Sharawat
Feasibility and effectiveness of teleconsultation in children with epilepsy amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in a resource-limited country
All India Institute of Medical Sciences|Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research|Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College Hospital|All India Institute of Medical Sciences
ongoing covid19 pandemic lockdown measures employed government forced neurologists across world look upon telemedicine feasible practical option continue providing health care towards children epilepsy home isolation children epilepsy challenging teleconsultation direct information patient missing regarding seizures adverse effects especially behavioral psychological side effectsclinical epilepsyrelated details telephonic consultations children 1 month18 years performed 26th march 17th may 2020 tertiary care teaching hospital uttarakhand state india known hilly terrains low per capita income recorded suitable changes dosecommercial brand antiepileptic drug aed regimen performed along addition new aed referral local practitioners immediate hospitalization urgent health care issues detected voice call text message picturevideo message possible measures employed accumulate maximum clinical information realtimea total 153 children95 males 62 945 324 years 140 lowermiddle socioeconomic status enrolled screening 237 children various neurological disorders whose caregivers contacted teleconsultation total 278 telephone consultations performed 153 children 15 telephone calls per patient hundredthirteen children identified total 152 significant clinical events breakthrough seizureuncontrolled epilepsy 108 aed related 13 unrelated systemic adverse effects 24 worsening associated comorbidities 7 rest patients query caregiver included unavailability aedprescribed commercial brand locality query related dose drugs proxy scheduled routine visit active issues concern regarding covid19 related symptoms effect covid19 lockdown children epilepsy ninetythree 60 patients required hiking aed dose whereas 29 17 patients required addition new aedcommercial brand five children advised immediate admission nearby hospital overall 147 96 caregivers satisfied quality medical adviceteleconsultation one feasible options good effectiveness providing medical advice children epilepsy pandemic times