Awareness of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy among neurologists in Latvia

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a common cause of mortality in patients with epilepsy, but it is unknown how neurologists disclose this risk when counselling patients. This study was aimed at examining SUDEP discussion practices of neurologists in Latvia, as well as the awareness of the syndrome. Two hundred questionnaires were distributed, and we received 84 responses. We found that the majority of Latvian neurologists (79.0%) do not inform their patients of SUDEP, which is opposite to the findings in other countries. Despite the existing practice, 93.1% of neurologists believed that patients should be informed about SUDEP. A partial explanation for not discussing the negative aspects of epilepsy is that 75.3% of caregivers believe that being informed about SUDEP would cause permanent anxiety in patients, whereas 69.4% believe that it would improve compliance. This study revealed average awareness of SUDEP risk factors and warrants further studies for in-depth analysis of existing counselling practice.