Diagnosis and management of the epilepsies in children: a summary of the partial update of the 2012 NICE epilepsy guideline

• Published in: Archives of Disease in Childhood Vol. 97; no. 12; pp. 1073 - 1076
• Main Authors: Appleton, Richard E, Freeman, Amanda, Cross, J Helen
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01.12.2012; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subjects: Adult; Anti-epileptic drugs; Anticonvulsants; Anticonvulsants - therapeutic use; Biological and medical sciences; Care and treatment; Child; Child Health; Convulsions & seizures; Cost analysis; Diagnosis; Disease Management; Dosage and administration; Drug dosages; Economic models; Epilepsy; Epilepsy - diagnosis; Epilepsy - drug therapy; Epilepsy in children; Family physicians; Female; General aspects; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Health economics; Humans; Learning disabilities; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; NICE; Pediatric epilepsy; Practice guidelines (Medicine); Prevention and actions; Primary care; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality; Recommendations; Seizures; Studies; Therapeutics; United Kingdom > UK; Human; Pediatrics; Nervous system diseases; Epilepsy; Review; Management; Recommendation; Cerebral disorder; Clinical management; Treatment; Partial; Central nervous system disease; Diagnosis; Child; Public health
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-302822

The epilepsies of childhood are a heterogeneous group of disorders with different causes, treatments and outcomes. The choice of anti-epileptic drug is largely determined by its effectiveness in a specific epilepsy syndrome, or seizure type(s) if a syndrome cannot be readily identified, and the drug's safety profile. There are minimal randomised controlled trial data to help inform this decision. In January 2012, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published its partially revised and updated clinical guideline on the pharmacological treatment of the epilepsies in children and adults. This partial update provides additional data and also specific recommendations that improve the evidence base for the use of specific anti-epileptic drugs in treating the epilepsies of childhood.