The Spanish Neurological Society official clinical practice guidelines in epilepsy

Abstract

Previous Official Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) in Epilepsy were based on expert opinions and developed by the Epilepsy Study Group of the Spanish Neurological Society (GE-SEN). The current CPG in epilepsy is based on the scientific method, which extracts recommendations from published scientific evidence. A reduction in the variability in clinical practice through standardization of medical practice has become its main function.

Scope and objectives: This CPG is focused on comprehensive care for individuals affected by epilepsy as a primary and predominant symptom, regardless of the age of onset and medical policy.

Methodology: 1. Creation of GE-SEN neurologists working group, in collaboration with Neuropediatricians, Neurophysiologists and Neuroradiologists. 2. Identification of clinical areas to be covered: diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. 3. Search and selection of the relevant scientific evidence. 4. Formulation of recommendations based on the classification of the available scientific evidence.

Results: It contains 161 recommendations of which 57% are consensus between authors and publishers, due to an important lack of awareness in many fields of this pathology.

Conclusions: This Epilepsy CPG formulates recommendations based on explicit scientific evidence as a result of a formal and rigorous methodology, according to the current knowledge in the pre-selected areas. This paper includes the CPG chapter dedicated to emergency situations in seizures and epilepsy, which may present as a first seizure, an unfavorable outcome in a patient with known epilepsy, or status epilepticus as the most severe manifestation.

Keywords: Clinical practice guidelines in epilepsy; Emergencies in seizures; Estados epilépticos; Evolución desfavorable de una epilepsia; First seizure; Guía de práctica clínica en epilepsia; Primera crisis epiléptica; Status epilepticus; Unfavorable outcome in epilepsy; Urgencias en crisis epilépticas.