Evaluation of the effects of frequently used antiepleptic solutions in children of flavor and odor condition to the treatment

Objective: Followed up with the diagnosis of epilepsy in Balıkesir University Health Practice and Research Center Pediatric Neurology outpatient clinic; The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the taste and smell of the drug on compliance with the treatment in patients using antiepileptic solutions in the form of solutions. There is no such study in the literature on antiepileptic solutions in our country. Materials and Methods: Similar studies in the literature were used in the design of this study. The study was conducted in the form of a questionnaire applied to the volunteers of the patients who applied to the Balıkesir University Health Application and Research Center Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic, about their children's compliance with antiepileptic drugs. The survey questions used in the study were prepared by revising the survey questions in similar studies in the literature. The number of volunteers included in the study was formed from the patients followed in the outpatient clinic. Results: 102 patients diagnosed with epilepsy using oral antiepileptic solution were included in the study. 42.1% of the patients included in the study were girls, 57.8% were boys, and their mean age was 7.78±3.73 years. It was determined that 83 (81.37) of the patients received monotherapy and 19 (18.63%) received polytherapy. When the drugs used by the patients were examined, 47 (46.08%) Keppra, 26 (25.49%) depakin, 15 (14.71%) epixx, 12 (11.76%) Convulex, 4' It was determined that 3 (3.92%) were using Trileptal and 4 (3.92%) were using Tegretol. A statistically significant correlation was found between the drugs score of the patients and the patients using Keppra (p=0.042). It was determined that those who used Keppra evaluated the drug as good, higher than those who did not use it. It was determined that 95 of the patients (93,14%) used their drugs regularly. When the responses of the patients to the factors that make it difficult to comply with the treatment were examined, it was found that 24 (23.53%) answered as dislike of the drug taste, 16 (15.69%) forgetfulness, and 3 (2.94%) decreased seizures. Conclusion: The biggest difficulty faced by families in compliance with antiepileptic drug therapy in pediatric patients is that the patient does not like the taste of the drug. It was determined that although the child (n=63, 61.76%) did not like the drug, the patients continued to take the drug, while 38 (37.25%) reapplied to their doctor. This rate is very high and disrupts the stability of the treatment. The most common reason (n=24, 23.53%) stated by the patients in our study in terms of non-adherence to treatment was bad taste of the drug. This showed that it is necessary to develop new drug technologies targeting the correction of bad taste perception of antiepileptic drugs, and that there is a serious deficiency in this area. We think that it would be beneficial to carry out drug taste studies, especially with drugs that are not liked in general, such as antiepileptics, in large series using the flavors added to the drugs, the type, number and amount of auxiliary or sweeteners standardized and using comparable preparations that are identical in this respect, in the same physical structure. Recognizing the importance of taste for children and parents in patient-centered treatment modalities will increase adherence to treatment and affect clinical outcome. In conclusion, when we evaluate our study in the light of the data, we believe that improvements in the taste and smell of antiepileptic drugs will lead to a great improvement in the clinical course in a disease group such as epilepsy, which requires long treatment and high treatment compliance.