Disability in epilepsy: in some cases, give a disability

Epilepsy is a chronic neurologic disease that is characterized by chronic and progressive course. The main clinical symptom of epilepsy are seizures and their equivalents. Disability epilepsy is common, especially in severe forms of the disease.

One or the group of disability is established in almost 90% of cases of disease, but there are also variants of the disease under which the disability is not shown. The main criteria for establishing the degree of persistent loss of health is the severity and frequency of seizures, complications of the disease (violation of the motor function, memory and mental changes, delayed physical or psychomotor development in children, disturbances of vision or hearing). In each case, the disability and its degree is set individually by the Commission of the MSE (mediko-social examination).

Video transmission about epilepsy:

Causes of disability in patients

The main symptom of this disease is considered peculiar seizures, which can occur with or without convulsions, with loss of consciousness or not, to affect the entire body or parts thereof. In a period without attacks, the patient almost nothing is not similar patient. Often the surrounding and are unaware of this problem. Outside attacks, the patient can lead a normal life, study and work. Because the presence of epileptic seizures is not always the reason for assigning a disability group.

In cases where the quality of life of the sick person does not suffer from outside attacks, a disability may be established when a sudden seizure can be dangerous to others in connection with the work of the patient:

1. The people who work on the water, at height, with fire, with various complex mechanisms (seizure, these patients can carry a direct threat to the lives of others).
2. Employees who work with a variety of vehicles, a sudden stop which can be dangerous to others (public transport drivers, air traffic controllers, switchman on the railroad, surgeons).
3. Employees who work with chemicals, ionizing radiation, weapons, securities. Improper behavior can cause irreparable damage.
4. Also take into account the individual characteristics of the seizures and the position of the patient.

In cases where the patient is not able to work in the profession, he established a disability, but also creates the possibility of professional retraining.

Disability may be established if between the fits, the quality of life violated:

• with the need for daily administration of antiepilepticdrugs and their side effects, also takes into account the high cost of these medicines;
• constant supervision by a specialist (neurologist, psychiatrist, epileptologist);
• the need for regular expensive surveying methods.

Epilepsy may also be accompanied by various complications, especially in the case of long flow. Disability may be established in the development of mental defects and the behavior disorders, intellectual deterioration, formation of epileptic traits. Also, in some cases of epilepsy complicated by motor disturbances with paresis, paralysis, loss of coordination, which is an indication for establishing the disability group.

Children who suffer from epilepsy since an early age, there may be a delay physical and motor-mental retardation, in particular speech function, there are also disturbances of vision and hearing. These children are shown a disability.

Indications for referral to ITU

Patients with epileptic seizures, the doctor needs to send to the ITU for evaluation of performance in following cases:

• when it is contraindicated is a kind of professional activities to create hazardous conditions for others);
• frequent and severe seizures, which impair the quality of life;
• when there are complications from epilepsy and also from the constant intake of anti-epileptic seizures;
• developmental delay of the child;
• if there is no effect on the specific surgical treatment.

The disability is assigned to patients who:

• have the rare and light seizures (absence seizures, simple partial), not observed complications of the disease and its therapy, whose professional activity does not create hazardous conditions for the health and the lives of others;
• can continue the professional work, with some limitations, transfer to another position;
• are in a state of prolonged remission antiepileptic treatment.

Video transmission about epilepsy:

The list of surveys for the establishment of a disability

There is an approved list of required inspections, which must have a patient with epilepsy, which is sent to the disability:

• electroencephalogram for the last 6 months;
• CT or

  The criteria for assigning disability for epilepsy

  The main criteria that affect the setting of a particular group of disability with epilepsy, are:

  • the frequency of seizures and their severity (generalized with loss of consciousness and partial without);
  • the state of intelligence and mental healthperson;
  • the presence of motor disorders and their severity;
  • for children – delayed physical and psychomotor development;
  • the effectiveness of antiepileptic therapy;
  • the presence of neurologic symptoms, the degree of its severity;
  • the condition of the electrical brain activity on the EEG;
  • the age at which she debuted the disease;
  • the cause of epilepsy;
  • a history of status epilepticus;
  • the occurrence of serious side effects from a specific therapy, hypersensitivity to anticonvulsant drugs.

  Disability group

  Epilepsy is a disease in which may be determined by any group of disability.

  The third group

  The third group of disability set:

  • generalized seizures (with impaired consciousness) are observed two or three cases per month;
  • seizures without loss of consciousness (partial) are not less than three or four cases a day;
  • attacks of psychomotor character observed once a half to three months;
  • apistatus the patient is observed once in four to six months;
  • mental disease complications moderate, minimal personality changes;
  • static-dynamic capacity of the organism is moderately restricted (a decrease in muscle strength, which leads to the inability to fully take care of themselves, mobility, and professional activities).

  The third invalid group set to 35-40% of all cases.

  Group 2

  The second group of disability at this zabolevanii set in the following cases:

  • the frequency of generalized seizures is 4 and more times per month;
  • partial seizures occur more than five times a day;
  • psychomotor seizures occur more than once a month;
  • Epictetus observed more than once in two or three months;
  • mental functions disturbed in a pronounced degree, which leads to the complete inability to control their behavioural responses to work full time, study, self-care;
  • static-dynamic functions disrupted in severe degree of the paresis of the limbs, which limit the patient's ability to self-care and movement.

  The second group of disability is established in 55-60% of patients with epilepsy. The important point is that all cases of seizures must be documented. Such people can continue working, but under special conditions.

  1 group

  The first group of disability is established when a significant neurological disorders, expressed mnesticheskih disorders, intellectual impairment, severe mental complications, loss of former skills and a complete inability to care for self. Also wheninappropriate behavior, lack of self-criticism. The seizures can be of any frequency and severity.

  Such people are unable to work or study. Their static-dynamic function is impaired greatly – paralysis of limbs, impaired speech, vision, hearing. The first group is set to 2-4% of cases of examination of disability.

  Indefinite disability is established patients who were rated 1 or 2 group. The patient has a permanent disability, and all treatment and rehabilitation activities in the past 5 years proved ineffective.

  Disabilities in children

  In children, the disability is not divided into groups. If the ITU establishes the necessity of a disabled child with epilepsy, it is assigned to category disabled from childhood, which lasts until the execution of 18. Further algorithm, such as in adults (described above) with preconisee every 5 years.