Open AccessDetrimental effect of antiepileptic drugs dose in pediatric children with epilepsy in Saudi Arabia
Author(s) -
Badriyah S. Alotaibi,
Abdulaziz A Alodhayani,
Aya Alwan,
Khalid Nijr Alotaibi,
Brahim Tabarki Melaiki,
Aljawharah Mohammad Almadhi,
Lulwah Haitham Alfares,
Nahlah Ahmed Alalkami
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.59
H-Index - 148
eISSN - 1536-5964
pISSN - 0025-7974
DOI - 10.1097/md.0000000000026478
Subject(s) - medicine , levetiracetam , epilepsy , incidence (geometry) , guideline , pediatrics , adverse effect , population , phenytoin , prospective cohort study , cohort , cohort study , medical record , psychiatry , physics , environmental health , pathology , optics
This study aims to evaluate the effect of dose titration for different oral antiepileptic medications among children with epilepsy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A single-center prospective pilot, cohort study was undertaken at a tertiary hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All medical records of pediatric patients below the age of 14 years of age who has been newly diagnosed with epilepsy by attending a medical specialist or on a new epileptic treatment plans were enrolled in the study. A total of 76 epileptic patients were screened for 3 months’ period and 48 patients were included in this study. Out of the 48 patients, 31 patients followed the regular practice in the titration processes and 17 patients were in the British national formulary (BNF) guideline. Fifteen children who were on monotherapy of levetiracetam were in regular practice guideline experienced poor seizure control with a recorded number of seizure incidence (n = 10). The patient in regular practice guidelines using a combination therapy of phenytoin and levetiracetam were experiencing some behavioral disturbance and sedation effect. Seventeen patients followed in the BNF guideline who were on levetiracetam were experienced less adverse effect (n = 2) with no behavioral changes. The group who followed the regular practice found having a greater incidence of documented adverse effects compared to the patients following the BNF guideline. The titrating antiepileptic medication has a detrimental effect on the pediatric population as observed in this study.