AEs observed with antiepileptics not due to coprescribing
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AEs observed with antiepileptics not due to coprescribing Adverse events (AEs) are "relatively common" in patients with medically refractory epilepsy, say investigators from Italy. However, this AE burden is likely to be related more to individual responsiveness, type of antiepileptic drug/s chosen, and physician treatment skills, than to the number of coprescribed antiepileptic drugs or drug load, they contend. A total of 809 patients with refractory epilepsy were enrolled in the study, with AEs assessed via unstructured interview, and the Adverse Event Profile (AEP) questionnaire. At the unstructured interview, 295 patients (36.5%) reported AEs related to antiepileptic treatment, with the most commonly reported AE being somnolence, followed by tremor, memory problems, and visual disturbances. There were no major differences in frequencies of individual AEs between patients on monotherapy and patients on polytherapy (n = 627). Patients on polytherapy had higher drug loads (prescribed daily dose/defined daily dose ratios) than patients on monotherapy (3.1 ± 1.2 vs 1.2 ± 0.5; p < 0.0001). However, there was no correlation found between the number of spontaneously reported AEs in individual patients and corresponding antiepileptic drug loads. Similarly, there was no correlation observed between AEP scores and antiepileptic drug load, and the distribution of AEP scores among polytherapy patients was "virtually identical" to that recorded in patients on monotherapy, say the researchers. Canevini MP, et al. Relationship between adverse effects of antiepileptic drugs, number of coprescribed drugs, and drug load in a large cohort of consecutive patients with drug-refractory epilepsy. Epilepsia 51: 797-804, No. 5, May 2010. Available from: URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ 803025015 j.1528-1167.2010.02520.x
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Reactions 10 Jul 2010 No. 1309
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