title: One drug (phenytoin) in the treatment of epilepsy.
abstract: Thirty-one, previously untreated, adult outpatients with idiopathic or focal grand-mal and/or focal minor seizures were treated initially with phenytoin. Serum-phenytoin concentrations were monitored to achieve an optimum range of 10-20 mug/ml if necessary. With a mean duration of follow-up of 14-7 months, only three (10%) patients have required the addition of a second drug, although without the guidance of serum concentrations sixteen (54%) might have been treated with a further drug. In the optimum serum-phenytoin range only 1 grand-mal attack occurred in this series, compared with a mean pre-treatment grand-mal seizure-rate of 1-1/month. Serum phenytoin declined slowly in fourteen (45%) patients. These observations suggest that many epileptic patients  could be satisfactorily treated with one drug instead of the polypharmacy which they usually receive.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D004830:Epilepsy, Tonic-Clonic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010919:Placebos; D011324:Primidone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D010919:Placebos; D011324:Primidone; D010672:Phenytoin; D010634:Phenobarbital