Abstract
BackgroundEpilepsy is a chronic, universal disorder with various etiologies and prognoses. It is still laden with myths in the majority of the Moroccan population. Despite the existence of well-established medicinal treatments and increasingly comprehensive care, access to antiepileptic care is still limited, especially for rural populations. We aim herein to identify the therapeutic itinerary of patients with epilepsy (or epileptic disorders) as well as the behaviour of patients and their families towards this disease in Marrakech and the surrounding region of Marrakech-Safi.MethodsWe carried out a retrospective study Questionnaire filled by 110 patients data was analysed with SPSS version 18.ResultsOur results showed that 69.96% of the patients believed in a supernatural origin of the disease and 76.4% attended for professional medical care after their first seizure. In addition, more than half of our patients (51.8%) consulted a religious leader for the initial consultation, 51.0% of whom were women and 49.0% were male. The low socioeconomic status of patients with epilepsy, 74.5% of whom were unemployed, impeded the effective management of this disease.ConclusionsThese results suggest that the management of patients with epilepsy (or epileptic disorders) in Africa, and particularly in Morocco requires, in addition to the reinforcement of human and material resources, an effort to educate and positively influence the family and the social environment as a whole.
Highlights
Epilepsy is a chronic, universal disorder with various etiologies and prognoses
From this point of view, this study aim to better understand the different stages of an epileptic patient’s behaviour and management of their condition. This was the first study in Morocco. It was carried out in the region of Marrakech city, suburban region and province, and was interested in the interaction of socioeconomic, cultural and behavioural factors in epileptic patients, in order to identify the therapeutic itinerary of epileptic patients in the Marrakech city and its region
Demographic and socio‐cultural characteristics of epileptic patients We conducted a retrospective study involving 110 people who attended for a consultation of epilepsy in the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Center (CHU Mohammed VI, Marrakech), Ibn Tôfail Hospital between March 2016 and July 2016
Summary
Universal disorder with various etiologies and prognoses. It is still laden with myths in the majority of the Moroccan population. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder with various etiologies and prognoses [1, 2], characterized by the repetition of spontaneous epileptic seizures [3]. This universal and ubiquitous condition remains very poorly understood in Morocco [4]. Studies interested in the behavior and therapeutic itinerary of epileptic patients especially in underdeveloped countries such as Morocco are still rare until recently From this point of view, this study aim to better understand the different stages of an epileptic patient’s behaviour and management of their condition. It was carried out in the region of Marrakech city, suburban region and province, and was interested in the interaction of socioeconomic, cultural and behavioural factors in epileptic patients, in order to identify the therapeutic itinerary of epileptic patients in the Marrakech city and its region
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