[Driver and epilepsy]

Abstract

A family physician managing a 54-year-old patient with a past cranio-cerebral trauma in his medical history, followed by an intracerebral hematoma in the right frontal lobe, with secondary posttraumatic epilepsy, repeatedly prescribed anti-epileptic drugs (recommended by a consulting neurologist) and described in the patient's medical records frequent generalized seizures as reported by the patient and his wife. The doctor himself witnessed the patient driving a car, despite the fact that he received a disability pension resulting from frequent epileptic seizures. According to the doctor, he was "shocked" by the patient driving a car and felt obliged to report the matter to the Transport Division Administration, suggesting that the driving license should be revoked. The patient's driving license had been withdrawn, what caused considerable resentment in the individual, who, in turn, filed a suit against the physician for violating professional medical secrecy by informing the Transport Division Administration about his suffering from epilepsy. The described situations point to the necessity of: 1) striving for the highest possible objectivity of diagnosing epilepsy, and 2) standardization of criteria for certification of epilepsy.