ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG MONITORING

Course overview

ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG-LEVEL MONITORING HAS BEEN A COMMON CLINICAL PRACTICE SINCE THE ADVENT OF ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS (AEDS). THE PRACTICE OF MAINTAINING AEDS WITHIN LABORATORY-DEFINED THERAPEUTIC RANGES IS A MYTH, WITH PROFESSIONALS OVERESTIMATING VALUES IN MOST CLINICAL SETTINGS. EPILEPSY, IN GENERAL, IS A CLINICAL DIAGNOSIS, WITH DIAGNOSTIC MODALITIES SUCH AS EEG AND MRI CONSIDERED TO BE COMPLEMENTARY INVESTIGATIONS. THE ASSESSMENT OF AED EFFICACY SHOULD ALSO BE CLINICAL AND THE AED LEVEL UTILIZED AS A COMPLEMENTARY TOOL IN SELECTED SITUATIONS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUG MONITORING AND THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN MONITORING PATIENTS TAKING ANTIEPILEPTIC DRUGS.