title: [Problem of epileptics not undergoing treatment].
abstract: Among 98 epileptics found in the sample of general population 1/3 were on anticonvulsants when examined, another 1/3 were medicated in the past and a remaining 1/3 never received any medication. Out of 312 samples epileptics known to specialty facilities, 75% were on treatment when examined. Voluntary cessation of medication was frequently observed in both samples of epileptics. Milder epilepsy cases were underrepresented among the patients currently on medication, and significantly more frequent among those who never have been treated or ceased medication on their own. The results of the study show that in some proportion of cases seizures may disappear without treatment, and that prolonged medication may be not the only cause of disappearance of seizures. Moreover, early discontinuation of treatment must not always be followed by recurrence of seizures. Thus, medical prognosis in epilepsy seems to be far better than it has been accepted on the basis of studies on patients known to doctors and medicated for years. Implications of the above results for prevention in epilepsy are discussed briefly.
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous
vernacular_title: Problem nieleczacych sie chorych na padaczke