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Developing an evidence‐based ketogenic therapy program
Author(s) -
Little Lauren E.,
Layman Mandy H.,
Borum Peggy R.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.20.4.a183-d
Subject(s) - medicine , adverse effect , grading (engineering) , real world evidence , population , medical prescription , intensive care medicine , emergency medicine , pediatrics , pharmacology , civil engineering , environmental health , engineering
Ketogenic therapy (KT) is a treatment for intractable epilepsy that is designed to mimic the body under starvation. Currently there are no consensus guidelines used for administration of the therapy to patients. A review of the literature on KT over the past decade was conducted and an evidence grading system was used to document current practice. KetoGator (KG) Guidelines were created using the reviewed articles to aid in developing an evidence‐based program at the University of Florida for initiating and monitoring patients on KT. Topics included: patient selection, use of KT combined with other treatments, initiation of KT, diet prescription at initiation and during fine‐tuning, and potential adverse effects to monitor. A database of 166 patients previously and currently treated with KT at the University of Florida since 1995 was designed and created. This retrospective study of the KT population was conducted to obtain data to refine the KG Guidelines. A prospective study is currently being designed in order to use the database to understand more about our KT population and establish baseline parameters to monitor. The database parameters to be analyzed are: blood lipids, complete blood count, metabolic panel, and growth. These data will then be used to determine correlations and trends between parameters to help in defining the potential adverse effects of KT to monitor and to expand the KG Guidelines.