Evidence map›Paper›PMID 24040345›Full record

ArticlePloS one2013

Epilepsy in Cambodia-treatment aspects and policy implications: a population-based representative survey.

Devender Bhalla, Kimly Chea, Chamroeun Hun, Vichea Chan, Pierre Huc, Samleng Chan, Robert Sebbag, Daniel Gérard, Michel Dumas, Sophal Oum and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. EFHC1 variants in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: reanalysis according to NHGRI and ACMG guidelines for assigning disease causality.Genetics in medicine : official journal of the American College of Medical Genetics · 2017
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Some cross-talks between immune cells and epilepsy should not be forgotten.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2014
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Devender BhallaInstitut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale UMR 1094, Tropical Neuroepidemiology, Limoges, France ; Univ. Limoges, School of Medicine, Institute of Neuroepidemiology and Tropical Neurology, Centre national de la recherche scientifique FR 3503 GEIST, Limoges, France ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Limoges, France ; Cambodian Society of Neurology, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Kimly Chea
Chamroeun Hun
Vichea Chan
Pierre Huc
Samleng Chan
Robert Sebbag
Daniel Gérard
Michel Dumas
Sophal Oum
Michel Druet-Cabanac
Pierre-Marie Preux

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWe tested two treatment strategies to determine: treatment (a) prognosis (seizure frequency, mortality, suicide, and complications), (b) safety and adherence of treatment, (c) self-reported satisfaction with treatment and self-reported productivity, and policy aspects (a) number of required tablets for universal treatment (NRT), (b) cost of management, (c) manpower-gap and requirements for scaling-up of epilepsy care.

methodsWe performed a random-cluster survey (N = 16510) and identified 96 cases (≥1 year of age) in 24 villages. They were screened by using a validated instrument and diagnosed by the neurologists. International guidelines were used for defining and classifying epilepsy. All were given phenobarbital or valproate (cost-free) in two manners patient's door-steps (March 2009-March 2010, primary-treatment-period, PTP) and treatment through health-centers (March 2010-June 2011, treatment-continuation-period, TCP). The emphasis was to start on a minimum dosage and regime, without any polytherapy, according to the age of the recipients. No titration was done. Seizure-frequency was monthly and self-reported.

resultsThe number of seizures reduced from 12.6 (pre-treatment) to 1.2 (end of PTP), following which there was an increase to 3.4 (end of TCP). Between start of PTP and end of TCP, >60.0% became and remained seizure-free. During TCP, ∼26.0% went to health centers to collect their treatment. Complications reduced from 12.5% to 4.2% between start and end of PTP and increased to 17.2% between start and end of TCP. Adverse events reduced from 46.8% to 16.6% between start and end of PTP. Nearly 33 million phenobarbital 100 mg tablets are needed in Cambodia.

conclusionsEpilepsy responded sufficiently well to the conventional treatment, even when taken at a minimal dosage and a simple daily regimen, without any polytherapy. This is yet another confirmation that it is possible to substantially reduce direct burden of epilepsy through means that are currently available to us.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAnticonvulsantsCambodiaChildCommunity Health CentersEpilepsyFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHealth Care CostsHealth PolicyHealth Services AccessibilityHouse CallsHumansMaleMedication AdherenceAnticonvulsants

Identifiers

PMID24040345
PMCPMC3764068

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.