ObjectiveTo compare the efficacy and compliance of children children with refractory epilepsy receiving ketogenic diet (KD) in outpatient department with children receiving KD treatment in inpatient department. MethodsA retrospective study of 44 children with intractable epilepsy receiving the modified classical ketogenic diets in outpatient department from June 2014 to December 2015, who were followed-up during the third, sixth and twelfth month. Records of epileptic seizures and adverse reactions were used to evaluate the efficacy and retention rate of inpatient department KD treatment in children with refractory epilepsy, and compared with 104 children receiving KD treatment in inpatient department at the same period. ResultsThirty-four of the forty-four children comleted observation after 12-month follow-up, 15 cases had been seizure freedom, 22 cases had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, 12 patients had less than 50% reduction in seizure frequency.The total effective rate of the KD therapy in outpatient department was 64.7%, and the retention rate was 71%. 18 of of the 104 children with KD treatment in inpatient department at the same period comleted observation after 12-month follow-up, 3 cases had been seizure freedom, 5 cases had more than 50% reduction in seizure frequency, 13 cases had less than 50% reduction in seizure frequency.The total effective rate of the KD therapy in inpatient department was 27.8%, and the retention rate was 17.3%. ConclusionThe KD therapy in outpatient department is effective to children with intractable epilepsy, and there is a highly efficacy and compliance of children receiving KD in outpatient department comparing with children receiving KD in inpatient department. Therefore, it's optional to children with refractory epilepsy who can't received KD by inpatient department because of insufficient number of beds.
ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of medical counseling games on ketogenic diet therapy for drug-resistant epilepsy children. MethodsA total of 98 children with drug-resistant epilepsy admitted to the neurology ward of Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2023 to June 2024 who were treated with ketogenic diet for the first time were selected as the study objects by random number table method, and were divided into observation group (n=49) and control group (n=49). The control group received the traditional multidisciplinary team health education mode, while the observation group received the ketogenic diet treatment based on the multidisciplinary team health education mode and participated in the customized medical counseling games intervention. The time of children reaching ketosis, the knowledge level of ketogenic diet caregivers and the retention rate of children on ketogenic diet were compared between the two groups. ResultsThe time of ketosis in observation group was earlier than that in control group (P<0.05). The knowledge level of the main caregivers of ketogenic diet and the retention rate of children with ketogenic diet at 3 months and 6 months in observation group were higher than those in control group (P<0.05). ConclusionThe use of medical counseling games in the ketogenic diet for medically refractory epilepsy is an effective therapeutic strategy that facilitates the early attainment of ketosis in children with medically refractory epilepsy, improves the knowledge of caregivers on the ketogenic diet, improves retention of children on the ketogenic diet, and serves to optimize the effectiveness of clinical outcomes, which may contribute to the quality of life of children with medically refractory epilepsy.
Ketogenic diet (KD) is one of the effective treatments for refractory epilepsy (RE) and is recommended when anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are ineffective or less effective, inoperable or ineffective. The efficacy of the medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) ketogenic diet is as good as the classical KD (CKD), which has been demonstrated in several retrospective, prospective, and randomized studies, and MCT is more ketogenic than long-chain triglycerides, so MCTD allows more carbohydrate and protein foods, which makes MCTD more palatable than CKD more palatable. Research advances in the mechanisms and clinical efficacy associated with MCTD in the treatment of refractory epilepsy are reviewed.
Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of the ketogenic diet (KD) in the treatment of genetic developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). Methods Clinical data from 42 children with genetically confirmed refractory epileptic encephalopathy treated in the Department of Neurology, Jinan Children’s Hospital, between January 2021 and October 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. A classic KD protocol was implemented, and outcomes including seizure frequency, electroencephalogram (EEG) improvement, and adverse reactions were observed at 3, 6, and 12 months post-treatment. Results Among the 42 children, the seizure-free rates at 3, 6, and 12 months of KD treatment were 16.7%, 16.7%, and 14.3%, respectively, while the effective seizure control rates were 69.0%, 52.4%, and 35.7%. At 3 months, comparison of baseline characteristics between the effective and ineffective groups showed no statistically significant differences in gender (P=0.095), age at onset (P=0.648), age at KD initiation(P=0.768), disease duration before KD (P=0.519), presence of abnormal brain MRI findings (P=0.226), epilepsy syndrome classification(P=0.344), or ion channel gene involvement (P=0.066). EEG improvement rates at 6 and 12 months were 54.2% (24 cases) and 42.8% (14 cases), respectively. Retention rates for KD at 3, 6, and 12 months were 100.0%, 71.4%, and 42.8%. Adverse reactions occurred in 7 patients (16.7%), primarily gastrointestinal symptoms (vomiting, constipation, diarrhea; 6 cases) and elevated uric acid (1 case), with no severe adverse events reported. Conclusion KD is an effective treatment for genetic DEE with favorable short-term safety, though long-term adherence requires attention.
ObjectiveTo explore the impact on the retention and effective rate of the mode of continuous guidance with wechat group in children with infantile spasms (IS) treated by ketogenic diet (KD).MethodsThe clinical data of 40 children who received KD treatment in Jiangxi Children’s Hospital from January 2017 to June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, including 23 males and 17 females, the average age was (19.90±13.10) months and the average course was (9.95±7.61) months. They were randomly divided into control group (20 cases) and observation group (wechat group continuity Guidance Group, 20 cases), and followed up one year to compare the retention rate and efficacy.ResultsThere was no statistical difference between the general data of the observation group and the control group (P>0.05). After 9 and 12 months of KD treatment, the retention and effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than the control group (P<0.05). And the seizure-free rate was higher than the control group (35% vs. 10%, 35% vs. 15%).ConclusionThis model of continuous guidance with wechat group can increase the KD retention rate of IS children, And increase the effective rate.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy of Wechat combined with continuing nursing on the quality of life of epilepsy children with ketogenic diet, parents' mood and the time commitment of medical staff. MethodsData were collected from 140 children with intractable epilepsy with ketogenic diet admitted to the Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from November 2014 to June 2022, including 116 males and 24 females, with an average age of (8.42±2.44) years. The random sampling method was divided into control group (continuing nursing) 71 cases, intervention group (Wechat combined with continuing nursing) 69 cases. The quality of life of the children (QOLCE-16) in the two groups was compared before discharge and 3 months after discharge, as well as parental anxiety (SAS), depression (SDS), and the amount of time medical staff spent with both groups. ResultsThere was no difference in the quality of life and parental emotion between the two groups before intervention. After 3 months, the quality of life of the two groups was significantly improved [(43.59±10.00) vs. (40.14±10.44), P<0.05], and the QOLCE-16 score of the intervention group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). The parental mood SAS and SDS in both groups were significantly improved [(37.19±2.90) vs. (50.85±3.76), (40.14±3.52) vs. (49.29±3.37), P<0.01], and the SAS and SDS scores of anxiety and depression of parents in the intervention group were lower than that of the control group (P<0.01). Medical staff spent more time on intervention group [(136.17±7.43) vs. (65.55±7.48), P<0.01]. ConclusionContinuing nursing can improve the quality of life of children with ketogenic diet and the negative emotions of their parents. The combination of Wechat and continuing nursing can further strengthen this positive effect, and requires more time of medical staff.
Objective To systematically review the efficacy and safety of a very low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) in patients who were overweight or obese. Methods From inception to August 2021, the electronic databases PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data, VIP, and CBM were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of VLCKD in patients with overweight or obesity. Two reviewers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed using Stata 16.0 software. Results A total of 5 RCTs involving 245 patients were included. Among patients with baseline body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2, the meta-analysis showed that compared with the control group, VLCKD could significantly reduce the BMI (MD=−0.24, 95%CI −0.39 to −0.08, P<0.05), weight (MD=−7.00, 95%CI −10.48 to −3.53, P<0.05) and waist circumference (MD=−7.40, 95%CI −12.68 to −2.12, P<0.05) . The subgroup analysis results showed that compared with the control diet, VLCKD could significantly reduce the glucose (MD=−9.60, 95%CI −17.52 to −1.69, P<0.05), glycated hemoglobin (MD=−0.24, 95%CI −0.39 to −0.08, P<0.05), insulin resistance index (MD=−0.90, 95%CI −1.08 to −0.73, P<0.05) and triglycerides (MD=−41.42, 95%CI −53.78, −29.06, P<0.05) in patients with type 2 diabetes and with obesity or overweight. In patients with obesity or overweight, VLCKD could increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (MD=8.60, 95%CI 0.17 to 17.03, P<0.05) when the intervention lasted longer than 12 months. In patients with obesity or overweight, VLCKD had no effect on insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine, or uric acid. Patients with VLCKD had a higher rate of adverse events than those in the control groups; however, there was no significant difference in the rate when the intervention lasted longer than 4 months. Conclusion The current evidence shows that VLCKD can reduce BMI, weight, and waist circumference and reduce fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance index, and triglycerides among patients with type 2 diabetes and with obesity or overweight. However, VLCKD has no effect on insulin, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, urea, creatinine, or uric acid. Due to the limited quantity and quality of the included studies, more high-quality studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.