title: Phenytoin monitoring: clinical or scientific?
abstract: Phenytoin is an established therapy for post-herpetic neuralgia. In order to maintain serum phenytoin levels in the normal therapeutic range, serum phenytoin monitoring is required. This range may, however, be misleading in certain clinical conditions. We report here a patient with hypoalbuminaemia who developed marked clinical phenytoin toxicity despite maintenance of the serum total phenytoin concentration within the therapeutic range.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: McGovern
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: McCarron
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Carlile
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014277:Trigeminal Neuralgia / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010672:Phenytoin