TY - JOUR
T1 - Pharmacokinetics and Clinical Utility of Valproic Acid Administered via Continuous Infusion
AU - Cook, Aaron M.
AU - Zafar, Muhammad S.
AU - Mathias, Sally
AU - Stewart, Alejandra M.
AU - Albuja, Ana C.
AU - Bensalem-Owen, Meriem
AU - Kapoor, Siddharth
AU - Baumann, Robert J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland.
PY - 2016/1/1
Y1 - 2016/1/1
N2 - Introduction: Valproic acid is a versatile antiepileptic drug that is often used in the acute care setting. Intravenous valproic acid lends itself well to a continuous infusion as it exhibits a relatively short half-life. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of continuous infusion valproic acid in hospitalized patients with migraine and seizures. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed utilizing information from the medical records of patients receiving an intravenous continuous infusion of valproic acid. Patients were included if they were aged 1 month to 85 years and they received a continuous infusion of valproic acid. Therapeutic response, common adverse effects, and the pharmacokinetic profile of valproic acid were evaluated. Results: Continuous infusion valproic acid led to a concentration within the desired range (50-100 μg/ml) in 83.4 % of patients, a rate that was higher in pediatric patients. The clinical response rate was also higher in pediatric patients with seizures or migraines and appeared to be better when the concentration was >75 μg/ml. Analysis of safety parameters suggests similar safety considerations to valproic acid when administered via intermittent infusion. Conclusions: Continuous infusion valproic acid appears to be a safe, effective, and predictable manner by which to administer valproic acid to pediatric and adult patients admitted to the hospital.
AB - Introduction: Valproic acid is a versatile antiepileptic drug that is often used in the acute care setting. Intravenous valproic acid lends itself well to a continuous infusion as it exhibits a relatively short half-life. We evaluated the pharmacokinetics and clinical efficacy of continuous infusion valproic acid in hospitalized patients with migraine and seizures. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed utilizing information from the medical records of patients receiving an intravenous continuous infusion of valproic acid. Patients were included if they were aged 1 month to 85 years and they received a continuous infusion of valproic acid. Therapeutic response, common adverse effects, and the pharmacokinetic profile of valproic acid were evaluated. Results: Continuous infusion valproic acid led to a concentration within the desired range (50-100 μg/ml) in 83.4 % of patients, a rate that was higher in pediatric patients. The clinical response rate was also higher in pediatric patients with seizures or migraines and appeared to be better when the concentration was >75 μg/ml. Analysis of safety parameters suggests similar safety considerations to valproic acid when administered via intermittent infusion. Conclusions: Continuous infusion valproic acid appears to be a safe, effective, and predictable manner by which to administer valproic acid to pediatric and adult patients admitted to the hospital.
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U2 - 10.1007/s40263-015-0304-5
DO - 10.1007/s40263-015-0304-5
M3 - Article
C2 - 26715390
AN - SCOPUS:84956589203
SN - 1172-7047
VL - 30
SP - 71
EP - 77
JO - CNS Drugs
JF - CNS Drugs
IS - 1
ER -
