Intersections of Seizure Management and Reproductive Care: A Cross-sectional Study of Patients' Knowledge and Perspectives
Abstract number :
2.289
Submission category :
4. Clinical Epilepsy / 4E. Women's Issues
Year :
2024
Submission ID :
33
Source :
www.aesnet.org
Presentation date :
12/8/2024 12:00:00 AM
Published date :
Authors :
Presenting Author: Tori Valachovic, BS – University of Rochester School of Medicine
Trenton Tollefson, MD – University of Rochester Medical Center
Loralei Thornburg, MD – University of Rochester Medical Center
Colleen Tomcik, MD, FAAN – University of Rochester Medical Center
Hannah Garth, BS – University of Rochester School of Medicine
Corey Scultz, BS – University of Rochester School of Medicine
Sarah Betstadt, MD, MPH – University of Rochester Medical Center
Rationale: The American Academy of Neurology recommends that people with seizure disorders (PWSD) and pregnancy potential receive yearly counseling about reproductive health including antiseizure medication (ASM) teratogenicity risk and drug-drug interactions with hormonal contraceptive medications (HCM). These interactions can increase the risk of HCM failure and reduce ASM efficacy. Despite such clinically relevant consequences, PWSD may not have adequate understanding of this important topic. Our aims were to determine if PWSD of pregnancy potential are receiving reproductive care concordant with their pregnancy intentions and assess their knowledge regarding their ASM teratogenicity risk and interactions with HCM.
Methods: After IRB approval, we conducted a REDCap survey of people with pregnancy potential and actively managed seizure disorders between July 2023 and May 2024 across two general neurology clinics at a single academic institution. We collected medical history, participant knowledge of their ASM teratogenicity and interactions with contraceptives, self-assessment of knowledge and previous counseling history. Embedded branching logic allowed questions to be personalized to the number and types of ASMs and contraceptive(s) in use at the time of the study. Reproductive care was defined as concordant if the participant wanted to become pregnant and was taking folic acid or did not want to become pregnant and was using a highly effective contraceptive method. Fisher exact and Mann-Whitney tests were employed for analysis with a standard p< 0.05 cutoff for significance.
Clinical Epilepsy