title: [Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Valproic Acid in Children: A Prospective Study of The Effect of The Compliance and The Economic Level on the Trough Plasmatic Concentrations and Epileptic Seizures].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Valproic acid (VA) is a widely used antiepileptic drug. Because of its pharmacokinetic variability and the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as the treatment compliance, VA therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is recommended in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of treatment compliance and the economic level on VA tough plasmatic concentration (TPC) and epileptic rhythm in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-year prospective study (August 2008-August 2009) concerning children (age≤5 years) regularly treated by VA who had a VA TDM. So, 276 plasmatic samples from 238 children were collected. The children were divided in two groups as following: the group 1 (G1) presenting a good compliance and a reliable questioning and the group 2 (G2) presenting a bad compliance and a non reliable questioning. We evaluated the interindividual variability by correlating the TPC to the dose. Then, we divided the hole group in function of their economic levels (low-medium-high).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sex ratio male/female was 1.3. Median age was 5 years+/-3,9. The mean TPC was 62 µg/mL [0.12-131 µg/mL]. VA TPC were in the therapeutic range (TR) in 62%. Adverse drug reactions were noted in 4.2% of the children. G1 represented 70% of the children and G2, 30%. The TPC were in the TR in 67% of G1 and 51% of G2 (p=0.02). There was a significant difference between the TPC in G1 and G2 (p=0.02).There was no significative difference in the TPC in function of the economic levels. There was no correlation between TPC and the administered doses. The epileptic seizures were more spaced in children with therapeutic TPC than those with TPC in the TR (p=0.002) and in G1 than in G2 (p=0.03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Compliance should be appropriate in order to optimize the TDM rule. A good compliance and a therapeutic TPC allow a better control of epileptic seizures.
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisie - Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Charfi
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisie - Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lakhal
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisie - Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Anis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klouz
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisie - Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Sameh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.affiliation: Service de Pharmacologie Clinique, Centre National de Pharmacovigilance, Tunis, Tunisie - Université de Tunis El Manar, Faculté de Médecine de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisie.
authors.forename: Issam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Salouage
mesh_terms: D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055118:Medication Adherence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014416:Tunisia; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid