title: Phenobarbital in newborns with neonatal seizures. A study of plasma levels after intravenous administration.
abstract: Phenobarbital plasma levels were studied in a group of 25 newborn infants. Phenobarbital was administered i.v. in all cases throughout the study period. The mean loading dose was 19.4 mg/kg, ranging from 16.4 to 20.5, and the mean maintenance dose was 4.0 mg/kg/day, varying from 2.6 to 5.0. We obtained mean plasma levels of 22.9 micrograms/ml, 24 h after administering the loading dose. Mean plasma levels at 4, 7, 14 and 21 days were in the therapeutic range (15-40 micrograms/ml), with only a few cases falling outside of it. There was no difference in plasma phenobarbital levels between term and pre-term infants. Side effects were not seen in infants without a severe neurological impairment prior to drug administration.
authors.affiliation: Maternity-School Hospital of Vila Nova Cachoeirinha, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gherpelli
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Tsanaclis
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Segre
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spina-França
mesh_terms: D002423:Cause of Death; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012640:Seizures / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010634:Phenobarbital