Epilepsy linked to road accidents among Guineans in 2012

Abstract

Introduction: Post-traumatic epilepsy is the occurrence of one or more epileptic seizures beyond the first week following a head trauma. The disabling sequelae caused by this pathology, the difficulties of treatment, the increase in accidents on the public highway motivated our study. Its aim was to study the place of accidents on the public highway in epilepsy to contribute to the improvement of its management and road safety in Guinea in 2012. Method: It was a cross-sectional study from January 2010 to December 2012 which focused on 21 files of patients hospitalized for cranio encephalic trauma having developed EFA. The questionnaire data were analyzed on Epi Info version 3.5.1, the iconographies interpreted by a specialist. Result: The prevalence of the disease was 1.6% among hospitalized patients (21/1304) with a male prevalence of 66.7% and a sex ratio of 2. Accidents on the public highway were the most important circumstances with 81%. On admission 90.5% of patients had an alertness disorder, 52.4% had a severe head trauma, 57.1% had a tonic-clonic attack, 61.9% had a frontal impact point, 85.7 % a focused anomaly on the electroencephalogram and 95.2% had an improvement in the clinical state before discharge. Conclusion The sure preventive element of Post Traumatic Epilepsy remains the fight against head trauma by insisting on road education, by involving the media in the awareness raising strategy and by improving road safety conditions.