Background Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain, and it is considered as the 4th common neurological disorder. Epilepsy is associated with an economic burden by imposing a significant burden on both the individuals who have the condition and on those around them, as well as for the society. Objective Our objective is to study and evaluate the direct costs associated with the medical management of epilepsy, one of the most common neurological conditions. Methods Observational, cross-sectional 4-month study started in December 2018 till April 2019 in patients between 2 and 60 years of age with epilepsy without other concomitant diseases. The direct medical costs include the number of neurology and emergency room visits, number and type of diagnostic tests, days of hospitalization, and treatment administered for epilepsy. Results We studied data from 194 patients, with a mean age of 30.6 years; the mean cost for treatment with carbamazepine was 78.6 Egyptian pound (EGP); for valproate, the cost was 288.4 EGP, and for levetiracetam, the cost was 491 EGP. The mean cost of electroencephalogram (EEG) is 108 EGP, and for computer tomography scan (CT) of the brain and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, it is 149.4 and 423.7 EGP respectively. The mean cost for hospitalization was 610.5 EGP, and the cost for intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 515.4 EGP. Conclusion The economic cost of epilepsy constitutes a major burden for the patients as well as their families; most of the direct cost was attributed to the purchase of AEDs. This necessitates creating strategies to ensure regular access to affordable AEDs as well as introducing other varieties of AEDs more potent with less side effects.

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在艾因夏姆斯大学医院随访的埃及患者样本中评估癫痫的直接成本

背景癫痫是一种慢性脑部疾病，被认为是第四常见的神经系统疾病。癫痫症与经济负担有关，因为它给患病的个人和他们周围的人以及社会带来了沉重的负担。目标 我们的目标是研究和评估与癫痫（最常见的神经系统疾病之一）的医疗管理相关的直接成本。方法 观察性、横断面 4 个月研究于 2018 年 12 月至 2019 年 4 月开始，研究对象为 2 至 60 岁无其他伴随疾病的癫痫患者。直接医疗费用包括神经病学和急诊室就诊次数、诊断测试的次数和类型、住院天数和癫痫治疗。结果 我们研究了 194 名患者的数据，平均年龄为 30.6 岁；卡马西平治疗的平均费用为 78.6 埃及镑 (EGP)；对于丙戊酸盐，成本为 288.4 EGP，而对于左乙拉西坦，成本为 491 EGP。脑电图（EEG）的平均成本为108 EGP，大脑的计算机断层扫描（CT）和大脑的磁共振成像（MRI）分别为149.4和423.7 EGP。住院的平均费用为 610.5 EGP，重症监护病房 (ICU) 的住院费用为 515.4 EGP。结论 癫痫的经济成本是患者及其家属的主要负担；大部分直接成本归因于购买 AED。