- A 45 year old man who is a known epileptic on anti epileptic medications
visits his physician for an annual physical. The last episode he had was 6
months back after which his anti epileptic medicines were altered. The
important measures to be taken by the physician at this point includes
- As this patient lives in the state of Arizona he needs to be off the
wheel till at least 1-year period free of seizures.
- The physician needs to report the seizure to the center for disease
control
- The physician should report the seizure activity to the Department of
Public Safety.
- The physician should talk to the patient and advise him to report his
seizure activity to the Department of Public Safety.
Answer: The right answer is (d). In the State of Arizona the epileptic
patient needs to be free of seizure free for 3 months before he can start
driving. It is not a reportable condition. But it is advisable for the physician
to convince the patient to self report the disorder to the Department of Public
Safety.
In some states, the physician is REQUIRED to report the seizure and the
patient has his/her license suspended for 3-24 months.