title: [Efficacy and safety of antiepileptic therapy in children (a comparative analysis of valproates and barbiturates)].
abstract: The study aimed at a comparative analysis of safety and efficacy of valproic acid (valproate) and barbiturates in the treatment of epilepsy in children. Two hundred and forty children were treated with valproate, 94% being assigned to depakine and depakine chrono, and 210 children received barbiturates. Therapeutic effect (a decrease of seizures frequency by 2 and more times or remission) was detected in 82 of 127 (65 +/- 8.53%) patients for valproate monotherapy and only in 26 of 89 (30 +/- 9.45%) for barbiturates monotherapy. An efficacy of antiepileptic therapy in children was significantly higher (p<0.05) for valproates as compared to barbiturates. A drug withdrawal due to poor tolerability was recorded in 6 of 127 (5 +/- 3.7%) patients treated with valproate in monotherapy and in 14 of 210 (7 +/- 3.45%)--in polytherapy; in 53 of 89 (59 +/- 10.2%) patients treated with barbiturates in monotherapy and in 78 of 121 (65 +/- 8.53%) patients treated with barbiturates in polytherapy. Therefore, adverse effects occurred more often in barbiturates than in valproate treatment both for mono- and polytherapy (p<0.05). The results of the study confirmed the high efficacy and safety of valproates, specifically depakine chrono, in the treatment of epilepsy in children. depakine chrono in-take is associated with lower frequency of adverse effects; side-effects are mostly of dose-dependent character and do not result in the drug withdrawal. The authors do not recommend using barbiturates in the first-line treatment in children, because of the lower efficacy, high frequency of medical complications that might result in the drug withdrawal and reducing of the efficacy of other antiepileptic medications.
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Pylaeva
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Petrukhin
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Voronkova
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001463:Barbiturates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004828:Epilepsies, Partial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D012449:Safety; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D001463:Barbiturates; D014635:Valproic Acid