TY - JOUR
T1 - Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
T2 - A pilot study on truth telling among Italian epileptologists
AU - Vegni, Elena
AU - Leone, Daniela
AU - Canevini, Maria Paola
AU - Tinuper, Paolo
AU - Moja, Egidio Aldo
PY - 2011/4
Y1 - 2011/4
N2 - Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a syndrome where a person with epilepsy dies suddenly and no other cause of death is found. The question of informing patients and their families about SUDEP remains a problematic issue. The aim of this study is to explore whether Italian physicians interested in epilepsy believe that they should discuss SUDEP with patients and/or their families. A total of 315 questionnaire were distributed, of which 195 (61.9%) were returned. Seventeen respondents (8.76%) discussed SUDEP with all of their patients, 38 (19.59%) with the majority of patients, 120 (61.85%) with very few of their patients and 15 (7.73%) with none of their patients. No statistical differences among groups were found for gender, professional age (≤10 years; ≥11 years≤20 years; ≥21 years≤30 years; ≥31 years) and medical specialty (neurologists vs. others). Open questions offered insights into the physicians' problem of managing the negative emotions of patients/family and why the physicians decided to give information.
AB - Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a syndrome where a person with epilepsy dies suddenly and no other cause of death is found. The question of informing patients and their families about SUDEP remains a problematic issue. The aim of this study is to explore whether Italian physicians interested in epilepsy believe that they should discuss SUDEP with patients and/or their families. A total of 315 questionnaire were distributed, of which 195 (61.9%) were returned. Seventeen respondents (8.76%) discussed SUDEP with all of their patients, 38 (19.59%) with the majority of patients, 120 (61.85%) with very few of their patients and 15 (7.73%) with none of their patients. No statistical differences among groups were found for gender, professional age (≤10 years; ≥11 years≤20 years; ≥21 years≤30 years; ≥31 years) and medical specialty (neurologists vs. others). Open questions offered insights into the physicians' problem of managing the negative emotions of patients/family and why the physicians decided to give information.
KW - Epilepsy
KW - Questionnaires
KW - SUDEP
KW - Truth telling
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=79952899232&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=79952899232&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10072-010-0365-7
DO - 10.1007/s10072-010-0365-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 20607335
AN - SCOPUS:79952899232
VL - 32
SP - 331
EP - 335
JO - Neurological Sciences
JF - Neurological Sciences
SN - 1590-1874
IS - 2
ER -