Extending neurologic services to rural children.

The University of Kentucky provides neurologic services to rural children by a traveling clinic. In 1978, 438 children (including 231 new patients) made 646 clinic visits. The primary diagnoses were appropriate for a neurology clinic; epilepsy was the most common (74 of 231) among new patients.

Epilepsy in rural Kentucky: prevalence in a population of school age children.

Seizure prevalence among school age children residing in a rural western Kentucky area (Hardin County) was determined utilizing a method designed to minimize false positives and to allow estimation of false negatives. The observed prevalence of epilepsy is 5.7/1,000 and of febrile seizures 17/1,000.

An estimate of the prevalence of epilepsy in a rural Appalachian population.

A descriptive study has documented what is felt to be a precise estimate of the prevalence of epilepsy in 1973 in the school-age population of Clay County, Kentucky, a rural Appalachian county. A 96% response rate was achieved from the target population of 5467. By utilizing an accepted definition of epilepsy, an experienced child neurologist and a carefully monitored survey method which required the cooperative efforts of school personnel, local public health nurses and community leaders, a prevalence significantly greater than that previously reported from other areas of this country was observed (p less than .

An estimate of the true prevalence of epilepsy in a rural Appalachian population.

Relationship between reported and true prevalence of seizures in communities are often confounded by such factors as: availability of appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic resources, sophistication of medical records and disease reporting systems, a uniform definition of cases the social implications of the disease in that area. Through applications of an epidemiologic survey, monitored to take these factors into account, we have developed data which are considered an accurate estimate of the true prevalence of seizures in the school age population of a relatively isolated mountain community of 19 000. Analysis suggested a 50% greater prevalence of seizures than expected from other studies of similar age groups.