Children With Seizure-Related Disease, Research Paper Example

Abstract

Epilepsy is a complex condition that is characterized by seizures and other complications that impact quality of life for affected patients. It is important to address these challenges in the treatment of patients, particularly when they do not respond well to pharmacological therapies in one form or another. Therefore, it is necessary to identify other alternatives that may provide relief for seizures and enable children who are affected by the disease to achieve a greater sense of normalcy. Therefore, the use of medical marijuana in these situations may provide lasting relief for some patients who respond well to this treatment option. It may also serve a greater purpose for patients in the future who require treatment and do not respond effectively to traditional therapies.

Introduction

Children who have been diagnosed with epilepsy or another form of seizure disorder often face critical complications and challenges throughout the life span, particularly when they do not respond favorably to traditional pharmacological therapies. The quality of life for these patients is precarious at best and requires optimal treatment to alleviate seizures. This is not an uncommon set of circumstances, yet it poses new questions regarding the use of alternative therapies that may have a favorable impact on symptoms and the prevention of seizures within this patient population. Most importantly, there should be no limits in regards to the treatment of epilepsy, given that it limits quality of life and may increase mortality rates. As a result, the ability to use medical marijuana for patients who face these risks must be a legal alternative for this population.

Background

To date, the use of medical marijuana has been very promising in treating a variety of health conditions, with high advocacy rates and support from patients and health experts alike. Therefore, it is not surprising that the use of medical marijuana is a supported treatment alternative for epilepsy, given its benefits and advantages in alleviating the risk of seizure events, even in children. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, “The Epilepsy Foundation supports the rights of patients and families living with seizures and epilepsy to access physician directed care, including medical marijuana. Nothing should stand in the way of patients gaining access to potentially life-saving treatment” (Gattone & Lammert, 2014, para. 3). Based upon this premise, the use of medical marijuana must be advocated for as a viable treatment method for seizures, including those associated with epilepsy and other disorders. Patients must be provided with the use of medical marijuana as a viable treatment method to prevent seizures. Similarly, it is important to utilize the treatments that are available and that may be largely effective in treating a specific condition, particularly when they provide further evidence of success in alleviating symptoms related to epilepsy (Cilio, Thiele, & Devinsky, 2014, p. 1).

Opposing Argument

Many persons who oppose the use of medical marijuana under any circumstances cite a number of reasons for this perspective, including the lack of FDA approval for this drug as a safe and effective pharmacological therapy, the availability of legally available drugs on a widespread basis to provide essentially the same benefits, and the overall risks of marijuana use on fertility, lung function, brain activity, and immune system. Some experts argue that medical marijuana is not a feasible alternative to treat this patient population because there is little evidence to suggest that this option will have a positive impact on seizure reduction in many patients (Miller, 2013, p. 81). From this perspective, there is little standing evidence to suggest that a patient will experience long-term benefits from the use of medical marijuana, and furthermore, it represents a somewhat controversial circumstance when used in children (Miller, 2013, p. 81).

Most importantly, identifying new types of therapies to treat young patients with epilepsy requires a high level of support and acknowledgement that treatments may be improved to support effective patient care. Although progress has improved in this area, it remains as significant obstacle that requires alternative treatments to alleviate seizures (Gattone & Lammert, 2014, para. 3). In this context, patients will benefit from controlled marijuana use to improve their overall health and wellbeing over the long term. It is important for patients to receive the proper treatment and focus in order to accomplish patient care objectives and to alleviate the risks associated with seizure formation, as well as the aftermath of these circumstances. The use of marijuana in controlled situations must be governed by state law, but it is known to have numerous benefits for patients who require new forms of treatment to alleviate their seizures. For patients with epilepsy, the exploration of treatment methods must include medical marijuana as a possible alternative because it is likely to benefit many patients who experience regular and frequent seizures (Maa & Figi, 2014, p. 2).

Medical marijuana that is high in CBD and is low in THC recommends the importance of seizure reduction through the use of medical marijuana. Patients must be able to actively respond to marijuana treatment in order to demonstrate its effectiveness in treating patients on a long-term basis to prevent seizures (Gloss & Vickery, 2014, p. 2).   Seizure formation is not well understood, but this complication may contribute to poor quality of life in many patients, thereby mandating an evaluation of alternative treatments, such as medical marijuana in the treatment of epilepsy. Most importantly, the treatment is not likely to pose any additional risk to patients and is likely to prevent seizures if the treatment is available to the targeted patients on a timely basis to prevent further complications. For this patient population, those making decisions regarding treatment must be provided with evidence that medical marijuana is a feasible alternative for their children in cases where other types of treatments have been largely unsuccessful in many ways (Lorentzos, 2014, slide 10). This evidence may be in the form of prior experience with the treatment in children with frequent seizures, as noted in Porter & Jacobson, particularly when other treatments have been explored but have not been successful in treating the condition and the seizures that develop (2013, p. 574).

The use of medical marijuana to treat patients with epilepsy must be based upon informed consent by the patient and a collaboration with physicians that will support this alternative treatment method, using prior and current evidence as a guide that will facilitate effective decision-making in this regard (Jasti, Yarlagadda, & Joshi, 2014, p. 63). Although some might argue that marijuana use for this purpose may contribute to adverse events or health outcomes (Volkow, Baler, Compton, & Weiss, 2014, p. 2219), this is no different than the risks associated with any type of clinical trial where there is an unknown component that has an impact on patients who participate in these studies, particularly over the long term when there may be additional complications or side effects. Therefore, it is important to utilize marijuana in a similar manner and to use the drug in a controlled setting as a type of experiment to ensure that patients receive the best possible care and treatment for their condition. It is expected that these efforts will produce improved outcomes for these patients and will alleviate some of the seizures that form and that reduce quality of life and invoke harm on patients. Therefore, these factors must be considered as part of an improved treatment strategy that will test the use of medical marijuana under controlled conditions and that will support patient treatments that will be effective and feasible over the long term. Patients must be provided with treatments that will alleviate this condition; therefore, they must examine the different aspects of care and treatment that influence patient outcomes and that support long term approaches to treatment for this patient population.