People with epilepsy are at an increased risk of specific safety-related adverse events while in the hospital. Researchers found that hospitalized patients with epilepsy were at a greater risk for fall with hip fracture, respiratory failure, sepsis, and preventable postoperative death. The authors also reported that adverse events were associated with a prolonged length of stay, as well as an increase in the odds of inpatient death and an increase in high-level post-acute care.
Mendizabal A, Thibault DP, Willis AW. Patient safety events in hospital care of individuals with epilepsy [published online ahead of print June 28, 2016]. Epilepsia. 2016;doi:10.1111/epi.13440.
