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Background: Seizure clusters, prolonged seizures, and status epilepticus are life-threatening neurological emergencies leading to irreversible neuronal damage. Benzodiazepines are current evidence-based rescue therapy options; however, recent investigations indicated the prescription of mainly unsuitable benzodiazepines and inappropriate use of rescue medication., Objective: To examine current use, satisfaction, and adverse events concerning rescue medication in patients with epilepsy in Germany., Patients and Methods: The study was conducted at epilepsy centres in Frankfurt am Main, Greifswald, Marburg, and Münster between 10/2020 and 12/2020. Patients with an epilepsy diagnosis were assessed based on a questionnaire examining a 12-month period., Results: In total, 486 patients (mean age: 40.5, range 18-83, 58.2 % female) participated in this study, of which 125 (25.7 %) reported the use of rescue medication. The most frequently prescribed rescue medications were lorazepam tablets (56.8 %, n = 71 out of 125), buccal midazolam (19.2 %, n = 24), and rectal diazepam (10.4 %, n = 13). Seizures continuing for over several minutes (43.2 %, n = 54), seizure clusters (28.0 %, n = 35), and epileptic auras (28.0 %, n = 35) were named as indications, while 28.0 % (n = 35) stated they administered the rescue medication for every seizure. Of those continuing to have seizures, 46.0 % did not receive rescue medication. On average, rescue medication prescription occurred 7.1 years (SD 12.7, range 0-66) after an epilepsy diagnosis., Conclusions: Unsuitable oral benzodiazepines remain widely prescribed for epilepsy patients as rescue medication. Patients also reported inappropriate use of medication. A substantial proportion of patients who were not seizure-free did not receive rescue medication prescriptions. Offering each patient at risk for prolonged seizures or clusters of seizures an individual rescue treatment with instructions on using it may decrease mortality and morbidity and increase quality of life. ., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement M. Maltseva received a grant from the German Research Foundation outside the submitted work. F. v. Podewils has received speaker honoraria from Bial, Eisai, GW Pharmaceutical companies, Angelini Pharma, Zogenix, and UCB Pharma and scientific advisory board honoraria from GW Pharmaceutical companies, UCB Pharma, and Angelini Pharma. L. Habermehl has received support from Jazz Pharma, Zogenix, and Angelini Pharma in the form of reimbursed travelling expenses and training costs. L. Langenbruch reports speaker's honoraria from Eisai, Biogen, and GW Pharmaceuticals. S. Knake reports personal fees from Arvelle Therapeutics, Bial, Desitin Arzneimittel, Eisai, Epilog, UCB Pharma, and Zogenix. F. Rosenow reports personal fees from Angelini Pharma, Desitin Pharma, Eisai GmbH, and UCB Pharma and grants from the Detlev-Wrobel-Fonds for Epilepsy Research, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the LOEWE Programme of the State of Hesse, and the European Union, and from the Dr Senckenbergische Stiftung, the Reiss Stiftung, and the Ernst Max von Grunelius Foundation Frankfurt. L. Kämppi reports speakers’ honoraria from UCB and Eisai, congress/travel support from Angelini Pharma, and personal grants from the Michael Foundation, Finnish Neurology Association, and HUS Neurocenter. C. Mann was supported by the Hessian state to promote female scientists and reports speakers’ honoraria from UCB and travel support from Zogenix outside the submitted work. A. Strzelczyk reports personal fees and grants from Angelini Pharma, Biocodex, Desitin Arzneimittel, Eisai, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Marinus Pharma, Precisis, Takeda, UCB Pharma, and UNEEG Medical. We confirm that we have read the Journal's position on issues involved in ethical publication and affirm that this report is consistent with those guidelines., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Epilepsy is a chronic condition that can affect patients of all ages. Women with epilepsy (WWE) require access to specific counseling and information regarding issues related to contraception, pregnancy, and hormonal effects on seizure control and bone mineral density. This study investigated the knowledge among WWE regarding their condition, and whether epilepsy-specific knowledge has improved over the last 15 years., Methods: A total of 280 WWE aged 18 to 82 years participated in this multicenter, questionnaire-based study. The study was conducted at four epilepsy centers in Germany, between October 2020 and December 2020. Sociodemographic and epilepsy-specific data for participating women were analyzed and compared with the results of a similar survey performed in 2003-2005 among 365 WWE in Germany., Results: The questionnaire-based survey revealed considerable knowledge deficits without significant improvements over the last 15 years, particularly among those with less education and with regards to information on the more pronounced effects of epilepsy in older WWE (>50 years), including interactions with menopause and osteoporosis. In WWE ≤29 years, a significant increase in the knowledge score was observed in 2020 compared with this age group in 2005 (mean 7.42 vs. 6.5, p = .036). Mothers frequently reported epilepsy-related concerns regarding childrearing, particularly of seizures scaring their child and the need to rely on other people., Conclusion: WWE continue to demonstrate inadequate epilepsy-related knowledge. Despite increasing information availability and the aspiration toward better awareness among medical professionals, overall knowledge has not increased sufficiently compared with the levels observed in recent studies., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To analyze the concerns and worries about planning to have children and being a parent as a person with epilepsy and investigate gender differences in these perceptions., Methods: The Epi2020 study was a large multicenter study focusing on different healthcare aspects of adult patients with epilepsy in Germany. In addition to basic clinical and demographic characteristics, patients were asked to answer a questionnaire regarding their plan to have children, if they had children, and concerns about their children's health. Data were analyzed to detect differences between men and women with epilepsy according to age group., Results: In total, 477 patients with epilepsy with a mean age of 40.5 years (SD = 15.5, range: 18-83 years) participated in this study; 280 (58.7%) were female and 197 (41.3%) were male. Both women and men frequently reported concerns and worries about having children: In the age group below 45 years of age, 72.5% of women and 58.2% of men described being worried to some extent that their children may also suffer from epilepsy (p = .006). Furthermore, 67.3% of women and 54.2% of men below the age of 45 years reported being worried that their children may be disabled (p = .003). Women were more likely to have family members who are reluctant to support their desire to have children (p = .048)., Conclusion: Women with epilepsy of childbearing age are significantly more likely to report major concerns that their children might be disabled or also have epilepsy than men with epilepsy and, therefore, express more concerns about choosing to have a child. However, men also report frequent concerns and worries, and this should be addressed not only on request but should be included in the provision of general information on epilepsy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement CM reports speakers’ honoraria from Eisai and travel support from GW Pharmaceuticals, outside of the submitted work. FvP has received speaker honoraria from Bial, Eisai, GW Pharmaceutical companies, Angelini Pharma, Zogenix and UCB Pharma; and scientific advisory board honoraria from GW Pharmaceutical companies, UCB Pharma, and Angelini Pharma. LL reports speaker’s honoraria from Eisai, GW pharmaceuticals, and Biogen. FR reports personal fees from Angelini Pharma/Arvelle Therapeutics, Eisai GmbH, GW Pharmaceuticals/Jazz Pharma, and UCB Pharma and grants from the Detlev-Wrobel-Fonds for Epilepsy Research, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), the LOEWE Programme of the State of Hesse, and the European Union. AS reports personal fees and grants from Angelini Pharma/Arvelle Therapeutics, Desitin Arzneimittel, Eisai, GW Pharmaceuticals, Marinus Pharma, Medtronic, UCB, UNEEG Medical, and Zogenix. ASüß, FZ, LB, KM, JS, and BG have nothing to declare., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)