Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T05:32:04.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Use of Antiepileptic Drug Levels In Children: A Survey of Canadian Pediatric Neurologists

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 September 2015

J.M. Dooley*
Affiliation:
Departments of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Dalhousie University and The IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax
P.R. Camfield*
Affiliation:
Departments of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Dalhousie University and The IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax
C.S. Camfield*
Affiliation:
Departments of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Dalhousie University and The IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax
K.E. Gordon*
Affiliation:
Departments of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Dalhousie University and The IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax
A.D. Fraser*
Affiliation:
Departments of Pediatrics and Toxicology, Dalhousie University and The IWK Children's Hospital, Halifax
*
Neurology Division, The IWK Children's Hospital, University Avenue, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 3G9
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract:

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

There are 60 pediatric neurologists in Canada. Replies were received from 56 in response to a survey regarding the use and perceived value of antiepileptic drug (AED) levels. AED levels are frequently ordered and influence clinical care. There were, however, discrepancies among pediatric neurologists regarding the upper and lower limits of the “therapeutic ranges” and the clinical application of levels. We suggest that both the value and use of AED levels needs further study.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation 1993

References

REFERENCES

1.Buchthal, F, Svensmark, O, Schiller, PJ. Clinical and electroen-cephalographic correlations with serum levels of diphenylhydan-toin. Arch Neurol 1960; 2: 624630.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Wing, DS, Duff, HJ. The impact of a therapeutic drug monitoring program for phenytoin. Ther Drug Monit 1989; 11: 3237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Woo, E, Chan, YM, Yu, YL, Chan, YW, Huang, CY. If a well-stabilized epileptic patient has a subtherapeutic antiepileptic drug level, should the dose be increased? A randomized prospective study. Epilepsia 1988; 29: 129139.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Dawson, KP, Jamieson, A. Value of blood phenytoin estimation in management of childhood epilepsy. Arch Dis Child 1971; 46: 386388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Shorvon, SD, Chadwick, D, Galbraith, AW, Reynolds EH. One drug for epilepsy. Br Med J 1978; 1: 474476.Google Scholar
6.Callaghan, N, O'Callaghan, M, Duggan, B, Feely, M. Carbamazepine as a single drug in the treatment of epilepsy. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1978; 41:907912.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7.Buchanan, RA, Allen, RJ. Diphenylhydantoin (Dilantin) and pheno-barbital blood levels in epileptic children. Neurology 1971; 21: 866871.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Blomquist, HK, Zetterlund, B. Evaluation of treatment in typical absence seizures. Acta Paediatr Scand 1985; 74: 409415.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Lund, L. Anticonvulsant effect of diphenylhydantoin relative to plasma levels. A prospective three-year study in ambulant patients with generalized seizures. Arch Neurol 1974; 31: 289294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Herranz, JL, Arteaga, R, Armijo, JA. Side effects of sodium val-proate in monotherapy controlled by plasma levels: a study in 88 pediatric patients. Epilepsia 1982; 23: 203214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Herranz, JL, Armijo, JA, Arteaga, R. Clinical side effects of pheno-barbital, primidone, phenytoin, carbamazepine and valproate during monotherapy in children. Epilepsia 1988; 29: 794804.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Scheffner, D, Konig, S, Rauterberg-Ruland, I, Kochen, W, Hofmann, WJ, et al.Fatal liver failure in 16 children with valproate therapy. Epilesia 1988; 29: 530542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13.Patsalos, PN, Stephenson, TJ, Krishna, S, Elyas, AA, Lascelles, PT, et al.Side-effects induced by carbamazepine-10, 11-epoxide. Lancet 1985; 2: 496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14.Schoeman, JF, Elyas, AA, Brett, EM, Lascelles, PT. Correlation between plasma carbamazepine-10, 11-epoxide concentration and drug side-effects in children with epilepsy. Dev Med Child Neurol 1984; 26: 756764.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15.Choonara, IA, Rane, A. Therapeutic drug monitoring of anticonvulsants: state of the art Clin. Pharmacokinet 1990; 18: 318328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Gram, L, Flachs, H, Wurtz-Jorgensen, A, Parnas, J, Andersen, B. Sodium valproate, serum levels and clinical effect in epilepsy: a controlled study. Epilepsia 1979; 20: 303312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17.Ruuskanen, I, Kilpelainen, HO, Riekkinen, PJ. Side effects of sodium valproate during long-term treatment in epilepsy. Acta Neurol Scand 1979; 60: 125128.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18.Porter, RJ. In: Major Problems in Neurology, Vol. 12: Epilepsy, 100 Elementary Principles. W.B. Saunders Co. Ltd. 1984: 70.Google Scholar
19.Aicardi, J. In: Epilepsy in Childern, New York, Raven Press, 1986: 334.Google Scholar
20.Holmes, GL. In: Major Problems in Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 30: Diagnosis and Management of Seizures in Childhood. W.B. Saunders Co. Ltd. 1987: 79.Google Scholar