Publications by authors named "M Gainza-Lein"
Article Synopsis
- The study retrospectively analyzed the use and costs of antiseizure medications (ASM) in the U.S. from 2006 to 2021, tracking 347,158 patients with epilepsy.
- Initially, the most prescribed ASMs were valproate and phenytoin, but by 2021, levetiracetam and lamotrigine became the most common for both pediatric and adult cases, while generic ASM usage surged from 23% to 83%.
- The average wholesale price of ASM per person-year doubled, with brand-name drugs seeing a 419% increase and generic drugs a 462% increase, although patients' out-of-pocket expenses for generics dropped significantly, by 37%.
Background And Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine patient-specific factors known proximate to the presentation to emergency care associated with the development of refractory convulsive status epilepticus (RSE) in children.
Methods: An observational case-control study was conducted comparing pediatric patients (1 month-21 years) with convulsive SE whose seizures stopped after benzodiazepine (BZD) and a single second-line antiseizure medication (ASM) (responsive established status epilepticus [rESE]) with patients requiring more than a BZD and a single second-line ASM to stop their seizures (RSE). These subpopulations were obtained from the pediatric Status Epilepticus Research Group study cohort.
Article Synopsis
- - This study examines the trends in costs and usage of three main treatments for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) between 2006 and 2020, specifically focusing on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), oral prednisolone, and vigabatrin.
- - A total of 1,131 patients were analyzed, showing that while the cost of ACTH skyrocketed by about 2700%, oral prednisolone’s price dropped by 50%, and vigabatrin’s cost increased by 340% during the same period.
- - The use of ACTH as a treatment significantly declined from 78% to just 18%, indicating a shift towards more cost-effective options as
Objective: To describe the demographics of epilepsy surgery utilization and its impact on health care resource use.
Methods: Retrospective descriptive study using the MarketScan commercial claims database. We studied children and adults who underwent epilepsy surgery in the USA in the period 2006-2019.
Article Synopsis
- Seizure clusters, defined as two or more seizures in a six-hour period, are prevalent in pediatric epilepsy patients, with about one-third of participants experiencing them during a year-long study.
- The study classified patients into high, intermediate, and low-risk groups based on their seizure history, finding that those with more frequent seizures were more likely to experience clusters.
- Despite identifying at-risk factors and the use of rescue medications, these medications were underutilized, suggesting a need for future research on their effectiveness in managing seizure clusters and preventing related complications.