title: Phenytoin administration in the newborn and infant.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of phenytoin (PHT) in the treatment of situation-related seizures and epilepsies in the newborn and infant; the clinical histories of 82 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Sixty patients received for status epilepticus (SE), intravenous PHT followed by long-term oral administration for 27 of them. The other 22 patients had oral treatment only. Intravenous administration made 55% of these patients seizure-free, whereas oral administration produced lasting seizure control in only 9.1%. During chronic oral treatment, it was most difficult to obtain adequate plasma concentrations in 69.1% of the patients, and 43.6% had side effects, most of which were related to very high plasma concentrations. In conclusion, in the first 2 years of life, intravenous administration of PHT is useful for SE, but oral treatment is poorly effective with difficulty to achieve appropriate and stable therapeutic plasma concentrations, and with frequent side effects.
authors.affiliation: Neuropediatric Department and University Rene Descartes, Hospital Saint Vincent de Paul, Paris, France.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sicca
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Contaldo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rey
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Dulac
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010672:Phenytoin