Treatment Outcome of Epileptic Patients on Regular Follow-Up Care at the Neurology Clinic of Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Southern Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that affects 50 million people of all ages worldwide.It is treatable, with approximately 70% of epileptic patients being seizure-free with appropriate treatment, but the treatment outcomes for most patients in developing countries, like Ethiopia remain unsatisfactory. This study aimed assess treatment outcomes and its predictors among epileptic patients on regular follow-up care. The study involved a general retrospective reviewing of medical charts of patients who initiated antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) from September 1, 2017, to August 31, 2021, and completed at least 2 years of follow-up care. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science version 25.0. The descriptive analyses were done. Cox regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis with Log rank test were done to identify independent predictors of treatment outcomes and to compare seizure free survival of categories of explanatory variables. The study involved 324 epileptic patients.The mean age at onset of seizures with standard deviation (SD) was 26.4 (± 12.1) years. Among study participants, 43.83% (95%CI; 50.6%, 61.7%) of epileptic patients did not achieve a seizure-free period for at least two years. Pre-treatment seizure frequency (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 2.005; 95%confidence interval (CI): 1.420,2.832) and number of AEDs used during follow-up care (AHR = 1.576; 95%CI: 1.111,2.237), were significant predictors of uncontrolled seizures. Epileptic seizures were controlled in almost half of epileptic patients. Pre-treatment seizure frequency and number of AEDs used during follow-up care were significant predictors of uncontrolled seizures.