title: Pentobarbital desensitization in a 3-month-old child.
abstract: Barbiturates, a class of medications commonly used as antiepileptics and sedatives, are known to cause adverse reaction, with the most commonly reported immune-mediated reactions being anticonvulsant hypersensitivity syndrome. Other types of allergic reactions such as immediate hypersensitivity reactions also can occur. We present a 3-month-old child with refractory generalized convulsive status epilepticus who required pentobarbital therapy in the context of phenobarbital sensitivity because of progressive generalized seizures unresponsive to other aggressive therapies. Skin tests to pentobarbital and phenobarbital were negative. In the intensive care unit setting, intravenous pentobarbital desensitization was performed without reaction. To our knowledge, this is the first reported protocol for pentobarbital desensitization.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunology, Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Manish J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Butte
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dodson
authors.forename: Anahita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dioun
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010424:Pentobarbital / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D010424:Pentobarbital; D010634:Phenobarbital