The effects of COVID‐19 measures on the hospitalization of patients with epilepsy and status epilepticus in Thailand: An interrupted time series analysis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) measures on the hospitalization of patients with epilepsy and status epilepticus (SE). METHODS: This interrupted time series design included data from the Thai Universal Coverage Scheme electronic database between January 2017 and September 2020. The monthly hospitalization rate of epilepsy and SE was calculated by the number of hospitalizations divided by the midyear population. Segmented regression fitted by ordinary least squares (OLS) was used to detect the immediate and overtime effects of COVID‐19 measures on the hospitalization rate. RESULTS: During January 2017 and September 2020, the numbers of epilepsy and SE patients admitted to the hospital were 129 402 and 15 547 episodes, respectively. The monthly trend of the hospitalization rate in epilepsy decreased immediately after the COVID‐19 measure (0.739 per 100 000 population [95% CI: 0.219 to 1.260]). In particular, the number of children declined to 1.178 per 100 000 population, and the number of elderly individuals dropped to 0.467 per 100 000 population, while there was a nonstatistically significant change in SE. SIGNIFICANCE: COVID‐19 measures reduced the hospital rate in epilepsy, particularly in children and adults. However, there was no change in SE patients.