title: An evidence based approach to the first unprovoked seizure.
abstract: The objective is to illustrate the creation and structure of a particular type of Evidence Based Care (EBC) summary that has direct clinical relevance, the Critically Appraised Topic (CAT). The process consists of a step-by-step application of the EBC principles to a common neurological problem, i.e., a patient presenting with a first, unprovoked generalized seizure. This includes asking a focused clinical question about prognosis for recurrence and the role of antiepileptic drugs; searching the literature to answer the question; selecting the relevant evidence (a meta-analysis about prognosis and a randomized controlled trial about therapy); appraising the literature for its validity and usefulness; and applying the results to the clinical scenario. The result is a one-page, user friendly CAT whose title states a declarative answer to the clinical question. It also contains a description of the literature search and of the evidence, the clinical bottom lines derived from the evidence, and general comments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiebe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012640:Seizures / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy