PAEDIATRIC EPILEPSY TRAINING INFORMATION

PET 1 - Monday, 26th May 2025 

Next course will be held on Tuesday, 7th October 2025 in Adelaide.         

Join PET1, a one-day course designed to support you to better diagnose and treat children with epilepsy. Through a combination of lectures and interactive workshops, our team of Consultant Paediatric Neurologists will teach you to:

• Define: seizure, epilepsy, epilepsy syndrome and be able to provide a simple classification of epilepsy
• Describe the different seizure types e.g. absence, myoclonic, tonic clonic, tonic, atonic, focal motor and focal sensory
• Give differential diagnosis for seizures, and distinguish epilepsy from syncopes and inattention
• Manage the first seizure event
• Appreciate the contribution made by EEG and neuro-imaging
• Describe the principles of treatment, the indication for anti-convulsants and the well-known side effects of these drugs
• Offer practical advice for parents and children with epilepsy

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

PET1 has been developed to improve practice within childhood epilepsies. It is suitable for all health professionals providing primary or secondary level care for children with paroxysmal episodes including:

• Consultant Paediatricians and trainees
• Consultants in Neurodisability and trainees
• Consultant Community Paediatricians
• Consultants in Emergency Medicine and trainees
• Nurses in paediatrics and emergency medicine
• Neurophysiologists and EEG technicians
• It is recommended those planning to undertake PET2 and PET3 should first complete PET1.

PET 2 - will be held on Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th October 2025 in Adelaide

Two-day course covers general aspects of epilepsy (history taking, differential diagnosis, investigation etc) and concentrating on epilepsies in infants and young children. Recommended for all doctors and nurses who care for young children with epilepsies.

OBJECTIVES

PET2 has been developed to improve practice within childhood epilepsies.  It is a 2-day course, consisting of interactive large and small group sessions. You are expected to attend the whole 2-days. Participation is expected at the course in order for you to recieve your certificate. 

PET2 concentrates on general aspects of the epilepsies (history taking, differential diagnosis, investigation etc) and epilepsies encountered in infants and young children.  PET3 concentrates on epilepsies presenting in older children and adolescents.  Paediatricians managing children with epilepsy should attend PET1, PET2 and PET3. 

By the end of PET2, participants will be able to:

• Demonstrate the wide differential diagnosis in paroxysmal events in children and young people
• Improve diagnostic accuracy and gain insight into uncertainty
• Explore the differential diagnosis within epilepsies
• Introduce a structured approach to considering epileptic seizures and epilepsies
• Gain improved understanding of EEG reports
• Understand the association between epilepsy and learning difficulties, autism, and cerebral palsy
• Optimise initial treatment choices 
• Consider the wide spectrum of epileptic seizures, electroclinical syndromes and non-epileptic events in infancy
• Review the clinical features and management of epileptic spasms
• Understand blank events and epilepsies with absence seizures
• Improve knowledge of common 'focal epilepsy syndromes'
• Know the criteria for involvement of a paediatric neurologist
• Understand the concept of an epileptic encephalopathy
• Establish aims and approach to 'complex epilepsies'

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR?

PET2 has been developed to improve practice within childhood epilepsies.  It is suitable for those involved in delivering secondary level care to children with epilepsy.

• Consultant paediatricians and community paediatricians, especially those with particular expertise or responsibility for children with epilepsy
• General practitioners who have, or are developing, an expertise in paediatric epilepsy
• Consultant neurophysiologists
• Epilepsy nurse specialists
• Trainees in paediatrics, paediatric neurology and neurodisability, but only after undertaking a PET1 course

Please note, it is recommended that all those undertaking a PET2 course consider attending a PET1 course first.

PET 3 - Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th May 2025

PET3:  2-day course concentrating on the epilepsies presenting in older children and adolescents and transition to adult services. Recommended for all doctors and nurses who care for older children, adolescents and young adults with epilepsy.

Who is PET3 for?

PET3 is designed for those involved in delivering secondary level care to children, teenagers and young adults.

• Trainee paediatricians
• Trainee paediatric neurologists
• Trainee neurologists
• Consultant Paediatricians
• Consultant Neurologists
• Specialist epilepsy nurses

It is recommended that paediatricians attend both PET2 and PET3. There is no requirement for adult neurologists to attend PET2, although you are very welcome.

Structure

PET3 is delivered by a faculty of Consultant Paediatric Neurologists. The format of the courses consists of lectures and small group workshops (maximum 8 in each group).

Learning objectives

By the end of PET3, participants will be able to:

• understand reflex seizures and photosensitivity
• consider common and relevant diagnostic issues regarding episodes with headache and/or visual symptoms
• consider common and relevant diagnostic issues regarding nocturnal episodes
• consider presentations and differentials of episodes presenting as altered behaviour
• appreciate the variety and limitations of the available evidence for making an informed choice of anticonvulsant
• consider evidence base and treatment options applied to ‘real life’ scenarios
• consider common EEG pitfalls
• consider how EEG can occur with semiology
• explore different therapies which help children with ‘pharmaco-resistant epilepsy’
• improve our knowledge of regulation, risks and reasonable precaution
• discuss case studies in which epilepsy presents later in childhood and adolescence
• consider the practicalities of discussing risk of death and AEDs in pregnancy
• reflect on a range of strategies regarding risk communication
• discuss the importance of recognising common associated conditions in children with epilepsies
• consider effective communication strategies with young people and their families about their epilepsy and related issues
• explore the role of the clinician and specialist nurse in promoting independence of the young person
• discuss risks and benefits of AED withdrawal