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Med. Pr. 2002;53(5)

Diagnosis and certification of the ability of epileptic patients to drive motor vehicles: based mostly on cases consulted by the authors

Postępowanie diagnostyczno-orzecznicze przy kwalifikowaniu do prowadzenia pojazdów silnikowych osób z padaczką w świetle własnyc

Halina Sińczuk-Walczak, Ewa Wągrowska-Koski

Abstract

Epilepsy is a frequent diagnostic problem. It is also difficult to certify whether an epileptic patient is able to drive a motor vehicle. With the advent of efficient anti-epileptic treatment, a general practice of refusing epileptic patients driving license should be seriously reconsidered. However, the matter should be given careful consideration not to jeopardize public safety and patients rights.
The aim of the study was to highlight the problems encountered in rediagnozing and certifying people with diagnosed epilepsy or pseudoepileptic seizures.
The authors discuss the diagnosis and certification procedures in persons with epileptic seizures after severe craniocerebral trauma. They also analyze a case of diagnosed epilepsy suggestingthe syncope in a patient with cardiac defect; a case of psychogenous pseudoepileptic seizures and the course of the disease in a patient with febrile convulsions in childhood. The problems result from the fact that reliable medical histories are not available and thus the retroassessment of the clinical picture of epileptic seizures is not possible. Missing results of timely laboratory tests (EEG, ECG) and diagnostic errors concerning earlier episodes, especially epilepsy diagnosed inconsiderately, areadditional obstacles.

Key words

epilepsy, ability to drive motor vehicles