Knowledge and attitudes of school teachers, preschool teachers and students in teacher training about epilepsy and emergency management of seizures

Problem: School and preschool teachers play a key role in the care of children with epilepsy. Yet, data about their knowledge on epilepsy are scarce.

Methods: Assessment of knowledge and attitudes towards epilepsy in teachers by conducting a questionnaire survey in Leipzig and Blankenburg, Germany, from August 2013 to January 2014.

Results: 1243 questionnaires were completed by 302 school teachers, 883 preschool teachers, 56 students and two unclassified participants. Of the respondents, 140 (11%) stated to have already been actively involved in an epilepsy emergency situation, another 148 (12%) as observers. Only 214 (17%) of respondents felt sufficiently prepared for an emergency. A rescue medication had already been applied by 79 (6%) of respondents; only 186 respondents (15%) stated they would be willing to administer a prescribed rescue medication under any circumstances. In response to an open-ended question about the most common fatal outcomes of a seizure, status epilepticus and drowning were rarely mentioned. 233 (19%) of respondents assumed that epileptic seizures cannot result in death. 606 (49%) of respondents were concerned about the legal repercussions to an incorrect response to a seizure.129/403 (32%) of teachers with >20 years of professional experience claimed never to have had a child suffering from epilepsy in their care, even though the prevalence of childhood epilepsy indicates that they should. In total, 1066 (86%) respondents expressed a desire to gain more knowledge on epilepsy.

Conclusions: Training programmes for teachers should be established. Furthermore, a clear legal regulatory framework needs to be set up.