Background: The national database of hospitalized adult patients with epilepsy in Thailand is limited in terms of the incidence, characteristics of the demographic, outcomes, and prognostic factors.

Objective: To investigate the incidence, characteristics of the demographic, outcomes, and prognostic factors of hospitalized adult patients with epilepsy in Thailand.

Material and Methods: The retrospectively explored national data. The studied group was adult in-patients with epilepsy (over 18 years of age) in Thailand. The ICD10 code (G40) was used to identify eligible patients. Data from the reimbursement documents, which had been submitted by the hospitals under health insurance coverage; universal coverage, social welfare, and government welfare during the fiscal years of 2005 –2014.

Results: The total number of in-patients adult with epilepsy was 330,944 cases.Most common in males with 208,935 cases (63.13%), and the average age was 45.86 years. The incidence rate of hospitalized adult patients with epilepsy has been increasing every year lowest at 4.86 patients/ 10,000 /years in 2005 and highest at 9.01 patients/ 10,000 /years in 2013. The average cumulative incidence of hospitalized adult patients with epilepsy is 7.27 patients/10,000/year. On discharge, the in-hospital mortality rate was 2.98 %.  The most common co-morbidities were hypertension (49,610 cases, 14.99%).The most common complication was pneumonia (10,223 cases 3.09%). Age, co-morbid conditions and complications were found to be significantly associated with poor outcomes (p<0.001).  

Conclusion: The incidence rate of hospitalized adult patients with epilepsy in Thailand has been increasing tendency. The most common co-morbidities were hypertension. Age, co-morbidity conditions, and complications were associated with poor outcomes. These findings will be crucial for the development of epilepsy services and important data for nurses in planning effective nursing care and interventions for the physical and psychosocial problems of the patients.

Key words: Incidence, Outcomes, Adult patients with epilepsy, Hospitalized, National