A detailed semiologic analysis of childhood psychogenic nonepileptic seizures

Purpose: Psychogenic nonepileptic seizure (PNES) is an important differential diagnostic problem in patients with or without epilepsy. There are many studies that have analyzed PNES in adults; currently, however, there is no systematic assessment of purely childhood PNES semiology. Our study based on a large pediatric video-electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring (VEM) cohort, provides a detailed analysis of childhood PNES and assesses the usability of the current classification system described in adults. Methods: Medical and video-EEG records of 568 consecutive children (younger than 18 years) who underwent video-EEG monitoring (VEM) at our hospital were reviewed. Aura, type of movement, anatomic distribution, synchrony, symmetry, eye movement, responsiveness, vocalization, hyperventilation, vegetative and emotional signs, presence of eyewitness, and duration of the event were recorded among children with the diagnosis of PNES. We also compared our data with those of earlier adult studies. Key Findings: Seventy-five archived PNES of 27 children (21 girls; age 8-18 years) were reanalyzed. Nine children (33%) had the diagnosis of epilepsy currently or in the past. Mean age at the time of PNES onset was 11.6 (standard deviation 3.2) years. Mean duration of PNES was longer (269 s) compared to seizures of the epileptic group (83 s; p = 0.002). Eyewitnesses (mostly parents) were present in 89% of cases. Eighty percent of PNES had an abrupt start, with 68% also ending abruptly. In only 15% of events were the patients eyes closed at the beginning of the attack. Patients were unresponsive in 34%. The most frequent motor sign was tremor (25%) with the upper, rather than lower limbs more frequently involved. Pelvic thrusting was seen in only two attacks. Emotional-mostly negative-signs were observed during 32 PNES (43%). Based on Seneviratne et al.'s classification, 18 events (24%) were classified as rhythmic motor PNES, only half the frequency of that previously described in adults. No hypermotor PNES was found. The frequency of complex motor PNES (13%) and mixed PNES (4%) showed similar frequency in children as in adults. Dialeptic PNES was found more frequently among younger children. All PNES belonged to the same semiologic type in 23 patients (85%). Significance: Because homogeneity of PNES within a patient was high in the pediatric population, we found it useful to classify PNES into different semiologic categories. Dialeptic PNES seems to be more frequent among younger children. Tremor is the most frequent motor sign and usually accompanied by preserved responsiveness in childhood. Negative emotion is commonly seen in pediatric PNES, but pelvic thrusting is a rare phenomenon. We, therefore, suggest a modification of the present classification system in which PNES with motor activity is divided into minor and major motor PNES, and the latter group is subdivided into synchron rhythmic motor and asynchron motor PNES. We believe that our study, a detailed analysis on the semiology and classification of purely childhood PNES might assist the early and precise diagnosis of nonepileptic paroxysmal events

A ritka betegségben szenvedő gyermekek átvezetése a felnőttellátásba

A technológia fejlődésével párhuzamosan a ritka betegségek diagnosztikája sokat fejlődött, ezzel egyidejűleg az inno- vatív terápiáknak köszönhetően a gyermekkorban diagnosztizált ritka betegségben szenvedő gyermekek jelentős része megéri a felnőttkort. A felnőtté válás során a krónikus gyermekkori betegségben szenvedő egyén a gyermekellátásból a felnőttellátásba való átvezetését (a tranzíciót) a betegségteher mellett további nehézségként élheti meg. A ritka betegségek esetén ez az átvezetés még több kihívással járhat a gyakori krónikus betegségekben szenvedőkével összehasonlítva, mert a felnőttellátásban nem biztos, hogy minden egészségügyi szolgáltatónál megvan az a szakmai felkészültség, amely az optimális betegellátáshoz szükséges. Továbbá az egyre hatásosabb kezeléseknek köszönhetően a korábbinál hosszabb lesz a betegséglefolyás, és így olyan betegségekben jelentkezhet igény a felnőttellátásra, amelyekben korábbról nincsen tapasztalat. Esetenként olyan új klinikai tünetegyüttesek jelenhetnek meg, melyek a klinikusok számára még ismeretlenek. Az átvezetési folyamat a legtöbb ritka betegségben egyelőre nem rendelkezik egységes irányelvekkel, annak ellenére sem, hogy ezek szerepe vitathatatlan. Irodalmi adatok alapján a jó gyakorlat szerint a felnőttellátásba való áttérésnek minden esetben egyénre szabottan, előzetesen kidolgozott terv szerint kell történnie. Ideális esetben egy átvezetést segítő koordinátor támogatja a betegeket, aki tartja a kapcsolatot a gyermekgyógyásszal, a felnőttszakorvossal, a pácienssel és annak szüleivel is. A beteg gyermek felnőtté válásának támogatása mellett a gondozók szükségletei is fontos szerepet kapnak az átvezetés során. Az optimális átvezetést elsősorban a folyamatban részt vevők oktatásával, a folyamatot leíró protokollok fejlesztésével, valamint a megfelelő infrastruktúra biztosításával lehet megvalósítani

A tájékozott beleegyezés jogi és etikai problémái

INTRODUCTION: The previously accepted paternalistic relationship between patients and doctors has changed in last century. The expectation for patients to be involved in medical decisions is growing, but this involvement cannot be imagined without informed consent, hence it became one of the most important elements of a physician's responsibilities. Although informed consent is broadly regulated legally in Hungary, experiences show that practical realization is insufficient. This is also represented in the large number of lawsuits in connection with the inadequate or wrong use of informed consent. The aim of this study was to survey for the first time in Hungary the state of informed consent by the analysis of written consents to anaesthesia. METHODS: The authors collected and studied written consents to anesthesia from 36 hospitals and clinics in Budapest. They studied among others the presence of the following formal elements: individual consent forms for anesthesia, signatures on forms etc. They also examined whether the consents contained all of the conventional elements of informed consent. RESULTS: 61% of hospitals had individual forms for consent to anesthesia. Every consent form required a signature by the patient and almost every form (except two) by the doctor as well. 39% of forms describe the medical treatment in detail and only 25% mention its advantages and disadvantages. 28% of them specify definite risks, but only 19% mention their probability. 67% of the documents refer to the possible need to extend intervention. Patients have to declare whether they permit urgent blood transfusion in 25 institutions (69%). In only two hospitals are patients informed of their rights to revoke consent or to resign from being informed of medical treatment. CONCLUSION: Although all institutions have written consent forms that adhere to legal regulations, in terms of their format and matter they leave much to be desired. It is especially conspicuous that possible risks are named in less than a fourth of all forms, thus they have to be mentioned verbally and this obviously is a source of later arguments. The authors believe that all invasive medical procedures require templates for consent forms put together by professional panels. These forms could then be adapted to all specific medical procedures of the hospital in question

Innovations: Alcohol & drug abuse: Methadone maintenance in Europe and Hungary: degrees of sociocultural resistance

Opiate substitution treatment, commonly referred to as maintenance treatment, was introduced in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. This column discusses approaches to opioid maintenance treatment in Europe and focuses on the introduction of methadone maintenance treatment in Hungary. Although persons have received methadone maintenance in Hungary since 1987, consensus guidelines were not adopted until 1998 and were not confirmed by the Hungarian parliament until 2000. Hungary encountered initial difficulties in introducing methadone maintenance, and it is hoped that Hungary's joining the European Union in 2004 will help to make opiate substitution treatment more widely available

A kezeléskorlátozás gyakorlata a hazai intenzív osztályokon [Practice of treatment restriction in Hungarian intensive care units]

End of life decisions affect most of patients in intensive care units, thus, it is important to know both local and international practice in accordance with law and ethical principles for intensive care physicians. AIM: To search for local customs of end of life decisions (withholding or withdrawing the therapy, shortening of the dying process), and to compare the data with the international literature. METHODS: In 2007-2008 the first Hungarian survey was performed with the purpose to learn more about local practice of end of life decisions. Questionnaires were sent out electronically to 743 registered members of Hungarian Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care. Respecting anonymity, 103 replies were statistically evaluated (response rate was 13.8%) and compared with data from other European countries. RESULTS: As expected, it turned out from replies that the practice of domestic intensive care physicians is very paternal and this is promoted by legal regulations that share a similar character. Intensive care physicians generally make their decisions alone (3.75/5 point) without respecting the opinion of the patient (2.57/5 point) the relatives (2.14/5 point) or other medical personnel (2.37/5 point). Furthermore, they prefer not to start a therapy rather than withdraw an ongoing treatment. Nevertheless, the frequency of end of life decisions (3-9% of ICU patients) is smaller than other European countries. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for the expansion of patients' right in our country. For end of life decisions, self determinations must be supported and a dialogue must be established between lawmakers and physicians, in order to improve the legal support of this medical practice

End-of-life decisions in Hungarian intensive care units

The awareness of local practice of end-of-life decisions in accordance with the law and ethical principles is essential for intensive care physicians in all countries. The first step for the required social dialogue is to investigate local practice. We performed the first Hungarian survey with the aim of better understanding local practice in end-of-life decisions in intensive care units. Questionnaires were sent out electronically to 743 members of the Hungarian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. Respecting anonymity, we have statistically evaluated 103 replies (response rate 13.8%) and compared the results to data from other European countries. The results show that the practice of intensive care physicians in Hungary is rather paternalistic. Intensive care physicians generally make their decisions alone (3.75/5 points) without considering the opinion of the patient (2.57/5 points), the relatives (2.14/5 points) or other medical staff (2.37/5 points). Furthermore, they prefer not to start a form of treatment rather than to withdraw an ongoing one. Nevertheless, the frequency of end-of-life decisions (3 to 9% of intensive care unit patients) made in Hungarian intensive care units is less than in other European countries. End-of-life decisions are part of medical practice. Since the legal and ethical framework is unclear practice varies between locations and mostly depends on individual decisions rather than established protocols or guidance. For end-of-life decisions, self-determination must be supported and a dialogue must be established between lawmakers and physicians

Kettősballon-enteroszkópiás vizsgálatoknál végzett altatások során szerzett hazai tapasztalatok. Beteg-autonómia az anesztéziában. - Másodközlés magyar nyelven

A kettős ballonos enteroszkópia elvégzéséhez megfelelő mélységű anesztézia szükséges a vizsgálat hossza és kellemetlensége miatt. A szakirodalom alapján a vizsgálatoknál leggyakrabban éber szedációt alkalmaznak világszerte. Célkitűzés: A szerzők vizsgálták, hogy a beavatkozás biztonságosan elvégezhető-e intubációs narkózisban, illetve bizonyítani kívánták, hogy az általános érzéstelenítés választható szedálási módszer kettősballon-enteroszkópiákhoz a páciens fizikális állapotától függetlenül. Módszer: Retrospektív vizsgálatot végeztek a Semmelweis Egyetem I. Belgyógyászati Klinikáján intubációs narkózisban kettősballon-enteroszkópián átesett betegek körében. A betegeket csoportosították nem, kor és fizikális státus alapján. Az altatási jegyzőkönyvben rögzítették az altatás hosszát, a felhasznált gyógyszerek mennyiségét és az előforduló aneszteziológiai szövődményeket. Eredmények: Száznyolc intubációs narkózis adatait összesítették. Maradandó aneszteziológiai szövődmény nem történt, a leggyakoribb altatási mellékhatások a hipotenzió (30,55%), a deszaturáció (21,29%) és az apnoe (17,59%) voltak. Ezek a szövődmények szignifikánsan gyakoribbak voltak a több társbetegséggel rendelkező csoportban, viszont gyakoriságuk nem nőtt a gyógyszerek mennyiségének növekedésével vagy a vizsgálat hosszával. Következtetések: Vizsgálatuk megerősíti, hogy az intubációs narkózis legfontosabb előnye más altatási módszerekhez képest a stabil légút biztosítása, a gyakori szövődménynek számító deszaturáció és apnoe könnyű elháríthatósága, illetve az aspiráció megakadályozása. A több társbetegséggel rendelkező betegcsoportban az észlelt altatási szövődmények száma ugyan meredeken növekedett, de ezek intubációs narkózisban könnyen elháríthatóak voltak, ezért ebben a csoportban fokozottan ajánlott ez az altatási mód. A jó egészségi állapotú betegcsoportokban a betegek választása alapján az éber szedáció mellett alternatíva lehet az intubációs narkózis. Orv. Hetil., 2010, 48, 1976–1982. | Double balloon enteroscopy needs sufficient sedation technique, because the examination is uncomfortable and lengthy. The most prevalent sedation method is conscious sedation world-wide. Aim: To demonstrate that double balloon enteroscopy examination can also be safely performed in general anesthesia with intubation and that this method can be an option in patients with severe multiple morbidities. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of intubation narcosis in patients undergoing double balloon enteroscopy was performed at the 1st Department of Internal Medicine, Semmelweis University. Patients were grouped based on gender, age and physical state. Anesthesia records included the duration of anesthesia, the quantities of medications used and anesthesia-related complications. Results: Data obtained from 108 general anesthesia cases were analyzed. There were no permanent anesthesia-related complications in the period examined. The most frequent side effects of anesthesia were hypotension (30.55%), desaturation (21.29%), and apnea (17.59%). These complications were significantly more frequent among patients with multiple morbidities; however, their incidence was not proportional with the quantity of the medications used or the duration of anesthesia. Conclusion: The findings confirm that the most important advantage of general anesthesia over other methods is that it ensures stable airways, which makes it easy to counter-act frequent complications such as desaturation, apnea and aspiration. The number of complications of anesthesia was higher among patients with multiple morbidities, but these complications could be easily overcome in all patient groups. Therefore, this method is highly recommended for patients with multiple morbidities. Intubation narcosis can be also a viable option of conscious sedation for patients without co-morbidities. Orv. Hetil., 2010, 48, 1976–1982