Background:People with epilepsy have impairment in their quality of life (QOL) due to effect of epilepsy on various aspects of their life and the medication effects. Systematic studies on QOL in epilepsy from developing countries are sparse.Objectives:To assess the QOL in people with epilepsy and to evaluate various factors affecting the QOL in them.Materials and Methods:People with generalized and partial epilepsy on medication aged more than 18 years were included in the study. The QOL was assessed with QOLIE-89 instrument. Statistical significance was evaluated by the use of Chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results:Sixty people with epilepsy were studied among whom the older patients had lower overall QOL scores compared to younger patients. Female patients had lower scores compared to males. Married people had lower quality of health score. Patients with simple partial seizures had lowest overall QOL mean score. There was reduction in the overall QOLIE scores with increasing duration of the epilepsy. Patients who had their last seizure within 10 months prior to evaluation had lower mean overall scores.Conclusion:QOL was impaired in people with epilepsy with increased impairment in women, older patients, simple partial seizures, and those with recent seizure.

Context:Sepsis is a serious health problem in the elderly with a high degree of mortality. There is very limited data available in elderly subjects regarding the markers for sepsis. Development of good markers will help in overall management and prediction of sepsis.Objectives:Serial estimation of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α) and their correlation with mortality in sepsis in elderly patients and to determine the influence of gender on cytokine production and mortality in elderly patients with sepsis.Settings and Design:The prospective study was conducted at our tertiary care center from April 2007 to September 2008. Elderly Patients satisfying the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS) criteria were included.Methods and Material:TNF-α and IL-6 were estimated in 30 elderly patients admitted to our intensive care unit with SIRS and sepsis. The estimations were done on day 1, 3 and 7 of admission.Statistical Analysis Used:Student and paired ‘t’ tests, and ANOVA, which were further followed up by post-hoc ‘t’ tests with Bonferroni correction using SPSS.Results:Reducing levels of IL-6 levels from day 1 to 7 was found in the survivor group. TNF-α level was significantly low on day 1 in the nonsurvivor female group.Conclusions:Serial estimation of cytokines in elderly patients with sepsis will help in prediction of mortality. Female gender was an independent predictor of increased morality in critically ill patients with sepsis.

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