Families' Perception of Classic Ketogenic Diet Management in Acute Medical Conditions: A Web-Based Survey.
| Author | |
|---|---|
| Abstract |    :  
                  To describe families' experiences in managing epileptic patients undergoing ketogenic dietary therapies (KDTs) in acute medical settings. We conducted a short online survey addressed to the families of patients undergoing a classic ketogenic diet (cKD) for at least three months. The survey was composed of 18 questions exploring the following issues: demographic characteristics, epilepsy diagnosis, ketogenic-diet treatment history, the reason for emergency-ward admission and patient management, surgery-procedure management, and outcomes. A sample of 50 families agreed to participate. Out of 50 patients, 33 (66%) had been undergoing a cKD for more than two years. Fifteen (30%) patients had been admitted at least once to the Emergency Room (ER), and 8.2% had undergone surgical procedures during cKD treatment. The causes of ER admission were the following: seizures, infection, trauma, and gastrointestinal or respiratory problems. In 75% of cases, blood ketonemia was not monitored during ER admission, and according to 46% of responders, the medical staff intervening did not have a basic knowledge of KDTs. According to both our experience and caregivers' reports, it might be useful to search for standardized specific approaches to patients undergoing KDTs in the emergency setting.  | 
        
| Year of Publication |    :  
                  2020 
             | 
        
| Journal |    :  
                  Nutrients 
             | 
        
| Volume |    :  
                  12 
             | 
        
| Issue |    :  
                  10 
             | 
        
| Date Published |    :  
                  2020 
             | 
        
| URL |    :  
                  https://www.mdpi.com/resolver?pii=nu12102920 
             | 
        
| DOI |    :  
                  10.3390/nu12102920 
             | 
        
| Short Title |    :  
                  Nutrients 
             | 
        
| Download citation |