Driving Habits Among Patients With Epilepsy in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Danah AlJaafari, MD; Noman Ishaque, MD; Feras A. Alsulaiman, MD; Salma Alshammari, MBBS; Sumiyah Alshamekh, MBBS; Aishah Albakr, MD; Suad Alfliw, MSc; Saima Nazish, MD; Azra Zafar, MD; Rizwana Shahid, MD; Majed Alabdali, MD

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2022;24(2):21m02967

ABSTRACT

Objective: Patients with epilepsy are instructed to avoid high-risk situations such as certain occupations and driving to prevent harm to themselves and others. There is considerable variation in standards to decide if a patient with epilepsy is fit to drive among various countries worldwide, and these patients often continue to drive despite being advised not to. The objective of this study was to determine if patients with epilepsy and uncontrolled epilepsy are driving, the awareness of epilepsy patients regarding driving, and whether physicians are advising the patients to stop driving.

Methods: A clinic-based study was conducted in Saudi Arabia from June 2018 through January 2019 with structured interviews of consecutively recruited male patients with established epilepsy diagnosis. Demographic factors, employment status, control of seizures, and awareness of driving restrictions were documented.

Results: The response rate was 80.6%. Of the 121 participants (mean age of 35.97 years), 110 (90.9%) were driving, and 39% of those patients were married. Also, 76.9% of participants were employed. Of the participants, 48.8% had 1 seizure in the last 6 months, and 88% of those patients were driving; 51.2% had not had a seizure in the last 6 months, and 93% of those patients were driving. Additionally, 17.4% reported a seizure attack while driving. Only 38% of respondents were aware they should stop driving, whereas 62% were unaware of driving restrictions.

Conclusions: There is a definite need to establish a driving policy for patients with epilepsy and to optimize the standards of care of epilepsy patients in Saudi Arabia to ensure minimization of harm to both patients and the public.

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