Clinical Pharmacology of Phenobarbital in Neonates: Effects, Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics.
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Pacifici GM
Clinical Pharmacology of Phenobarbital in Neonates: Effects, Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics.
Curr Pediatr Rev. 2016;12(1):48-54. doi: 10.2174/1573397111666151026223914.
- PubMed ID
- 26496779 [ View in PubMed]
- Abstract
Phenobarbital is an effective and safe anticonvulsant drug introduced in clinical use in 1904. Its mechanism of action is the synaptic inhibition through an action on GABAA. The loading dose of phenobarbital is 20 mg/kg intravenously and the maintenance dose is 3 to 4 mg/kg by mouth. The serum concentration of phenobarbital is up to 40 microg/ml. Nonresponders should receive additional doses of 5 to 10 mg/kg until seizures stop. Infants with refractory seizures may have a serum concentration of phenobarbital of 100 microg/ml. Phenobarbital is metabolized in the liver by CYP2C9 with minor metabolism by CYP2C19 and CYP2E1. A quarter of the dose of phenobarbital is excreted unchanged in the urine. In adults, the half-life of phenobarbital is 100 hours and in term and preterm infants is 103 and 141 hours, respectively. The half-life of phenobarbital decreases 4.6 hours per day and it is 67 hours in infants 4 week old.
DrugBank Data that Cites this Article
- Drugs
- Drug Enzymes
Drug Enzyme Kind Organism Pharmacological Action Actions Phenobarbital Cytochrome P450 2C19 Protein Humans UnknownSubstrateInducerDetails Phenobarbital Cytochrome P450 2C9 Protein Humans UnknownSubstrateInducerDetails Phenobarbital Cytochrome P450 2E1 Protein Humans UnknownSubstrateInducerDetails - Drug Interactions
Drugs Interaction Integrate drug-drug
interactions in your softwareAmobarbitalChloramphenicol The metabolism of Amobarbital can be decreased when combined with Chloramphenicol. AmobarbitalSomatostatin The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Somatostatin is combined with Amobarbital. ButabarbitalChloramphenicol The metabolism of Butabarbital can be decreased when combined with Chloramphenicol. ButabarbitalSomatostatin The risk or severity of adverse effects can be increased when Somatostatin is combined with Butabarbital. ButalbitalChloramphenicol The metabolism of Butalbital can be decreased when combined with Chloramphenicol.