title: [The Andalusia Epilepsy Society's Guide to Epilepsy Therapy 2005: I. Criteria for starting and discontinuing and the pharmacological bases of antiepileptic treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this work was to produce a scientific evidence-based guide to clinical practice dealing with the basic questions concerning the treatment of epilepsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A committee of 11 experts belonging to the Andalusia Epilepsy Society, made up of six neurologists, three neuropaediatricians, one neurosurgeon and a pharmacologist, all of whom were deeply involved and experienced in epilepsy, conducted a thorough review of the literature in search of all the evidence available on the proposed subject matter. The following databases were used: MEDLINE, Cochrane Library and the databases of several clinical practice guidelines (National Guideline Clearinghouse, National Institute of Clinical Excellence and the American Academy of Neurology's Clinical Guidelines). The Guide was set out in seven sections and was published in four parts. From a total number of 187 relevant documents, the committee found 63 examples of scientific evidence and 91 therapeutic recommendations. These were tabulated and classified according to the European Federation of Neurological Societies' criteria for producing Clinical Practice Guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this survey provide scientific evidence-based clinical guidelines that are useful, simple and applicable at different levels of health care.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Torrecárdenas, Paraje de Torrecárdenas s/n, E-04009 Almeria, Spain. pserrano@meditex.es
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Serrano-Castro
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramos-Lizana
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pita-Calandre
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Camino-León
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Galán-Barranco
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rufo-Campos
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moreno-Alegre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Altuzarra-Corral
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Casado-Chocán
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mercadá-Cerdá
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Alvarez
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants