Table 2 Physicians’ knowledge attitude and practices about epilepsy according to health facilities in Lao PDR (2009)

Knowledge

Epilepsy is a communicable disease *

  - Transmitted by saliva

  - Transmitted by genes

Does not know any causes of epilepsy*

Diagnosis needs EEG or CT scan *

Cannot describe or classify seizures *

Knows one differential diagnosis of E *

Knows more than one long term AED *

Knows at least one AED *

  - Knows Phenobarbital alone *

  - Does not know the correct doses of PB *

  - Knows Diazepam alone

  - Does not know the correct doses of diazepam

Aware that discontinuing AED is life threatening*

Practice

Prescription in case of overt epilepsy

  - Prescribe AED *

  - Prescribe Phenobarbital alone *

  - Prescribe Diazepam alone

  - Prescribe a polytherapy

Number of seizures before prescribing AED

  - Does not know *

  - After one or more seizures

  - After two or more seizures *

  - After 3 or more seizures

Duration of AED treatment

  - Does not know *

  - Less than one month

  - One month to one year *

  - More than two years *

Time to discontinue AED in seizure-free patients

  - Does not know *

  - Between 1 to 2 years

  - After 2 years

  - Never

Give any advice to PWE *

  - Explain about the disease

  - Observance *

  - Avoid risk factors *

  - Avoid danger *