An investigation of the characteristics of outpatients with epilepsy and antiepileptic drug utilization in a multicenter cross-sectional study in China

Objectives This study aimed to describe the distribution of seizure types, clinical characteristics, and antiepileptic drug (AED) utilization in patients with epilepsy visiting tertiary hospitals in China. Methods This was an observational, cross-sectional epidemiology study conducted at 11 tertiary hospitals across China from May 2014 to November 2014. A total of 1603 patients, of either sex or any age with confirmed diagnosis of epilepsy, visiting outpatient clinics at tertiary hospitals were screened and enrolled. Demographics, seizure types, frequency, etiologies, comorbidities, and current AED therapy were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Overall, the majority (n = 1201; 74.9%) of patients were adults (16–59 years of age), and the mean (SD) age was 27.5 (15.9) years. A total of 989 (61.7%) patients had partial seizures, and 653 (40.7%) had generalized seizures. The majority experienced monthly (n = 663) or yearly (n = 625) seizures, with 2.7 seizures/month or 2.9 seizures/year, respectively. The most commonly reported symptomatic etiologies were traumatic brain injury, encephalitis, and stroke, whereas the most common comorbidities were sleep disorder, headache, anxiety, and depression. Overall, monotherapy was used in 54.1% of patients, while 30.6% of patients used dual therapy. The most commonly prescribed monotherapy for patients with partial seizures was oxcarbazepine (25.9%), while that for patients with generalized seizures was valproic acid (38.9%), and the most common AED combination was valproic acid and lamotrigine. Overall, valproic acid was the most commonly prescribed AED as monotherapy and combination therapy. Conclusion Findings from this study provide extensive information on clinical characteristics and utilization of AEDs in Chinese patients with epilepsy which may help physicians make well-informed clinical decisions.