Consensus Guideline on the Management of Epilepsy in Egypt: A National Delphi Consensus Study

OBJECTIVE

In epilepsy, early diagnosis, accurate determination of epilepsy type, proper selection of antiseizure medication, and monitoring are all essential. However, despite recent therapeutic advances and conceptual reconsiderations in the classification and management of epilepsy, serious gaps are still encountered in day-to-day practice in Egypt as well as several other resource-limited countries. Premature mortality, poor quality of life, socio-economic burden, cognitive problems, poor treatment outcomes, and comorbidities are major challenges that require urgent actions to be implemented at all levels. In recognition of this, a group of Egyptian epilepsy experts met through a series of consecutive meetings to specify the main concepts concerning the diagnosis and management of epilepsy, with the ultimate goal of establishing a nationwide Egyptian consensus.

METHODS

The consensus was developed through a modified Delphi methodology. A thorough review of the most recent relevant literature and international guidelines was performed to evaluate their applicability to the Egyptian situation. Afterward, several remote and live rounds were scheduled to reach a final agreement for all listed statements.

RESULTS

Of 278 statements reviewed in the first round, 256 achieved ≥80% agreement. Live discussion and refinement of the 22 statements that did not reach consensus during the first round took place, followed by final live voting then consensus was achieved for all remaining statements.

SIGNIFICANCE

With the implementation of these unified recommendations, we believe this will bring about substantial improvements in both the quality of care and treatment outcomes for persons with epilepsy in Egypt.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

This work represents the efforts of a group of medical experts to reach an agreement on the best medical practice related to people with epilepsy based on previously published recommendations while taking into consideration applicable options in resource-limited countries. The publication of this document is expected to minimize many malpractice issues and pave the way for better healthcare services on both individual and governmental levels.

Designing clinical trials to address the needs of childhood and adult asthma: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's AsthmaNet

In 2008, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute announced its intent to support a new asthma network known as AsthmaNet. This clinical trials consortium, now in its fifth year, has been charged with developing and executing clinical trials to address the most important asthma management questions and identify new treatment approaches in pediatric and adult patients. This review will discuss the organization of AsthmaNet and the scientific context in which the network was developed and began its work, report the results of an internal priority-setting exercise designed to guide the network's scientific strategy, and highlight the portfolio of clinical trials, proof-of-concept studies, and mechanistic studies planned for the 7-year period of the network to update the global asthma community regarding the progress and processes of the network.