Abstract

GAROFALO GOMEZ, Nicolás; GOMEZ GARCIA, Ana María  and  GONZALEZ GARCIA, Sergio. Pediatric epilepsy and telemedicine: an alternative in times of COVID-19. Rev Cubana Pediatr [online]. 2020, vol.92, suppl.1, e1186.  Epub July 20, 2020. ISSN 0034-7531.

Epilepsy is the most frequent neurologic treatable disease in Pediatrics. The current COVID-19 epidemic has limited the attention to patients with epilepsy. Telemedicine is one of the technological resources that allow using remote medicine for diagnosis as well as for treatments and distance learning. The objective of this review is to show the potentials of telemedicine as an alternative to conventional consultations. Telemedicine services used in other countries have proved to be very useful in keep giving remote health services to people with epilepsy. Telemedicine includes mobile and landline telephony, text messaging, e-mails and video calls using different digital tools. Through telemedicine it can be specified the degree of crisis control, to adjust or change medications, to advise on the lifestyle in this times of isolation, to insist in the importance of a good hygiene of the sleep, and to give psychological support to the child and the family. It has been demonstrated that telemedicine is not inferior than in situ consultations regarding crisis control, hospitalization, visits to emergency services or adherence to medication; and it is more economic because it drops expenses, and the time used in transportation to the hospital. It is recommended the promotion and institutional provision of telemedicine to provide remote medical care in cases of pediatric epilepsy as a great alternative in the era of COVID-19.

Keywords : COVID-19; epilepsy; children; adolescents; telemedicine.

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