RT Book, Section
A1 LoVecchio, Frank
A2 Tintinalli, Judith E.
A2 Stapczynski, J. Stephan
A2 Ma, O. John
A2 Yealy, Donald M.
A2 Meckler, Garth D.
A2 Cline, David M.
SR Print(0)
ID 1121513128
T1 Anticonvulsants
T2 Tintinalli’s Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide, 8e
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071794763
LK accessemergencymedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1121513128
RD 2023/09/29
AB Anticonvulsants,  or  antiepileptics,  are  used  to  treat  acute  seizures  and  prevent  convulsions  in  patients  with  epilepsy.  The  first  generation  of  antiepileptics  was  developed  between  1939  and  1980  (Table  197-1).  Since  1993,  15  additional  agents  have  been  introduced  into  clinical  use,  termed  the  "second  and  third  generation"  of  antiepileptic  drugs.  In  general,  these  new  anticonvulsants  have  fewer  serious  adverse  side  effects  and  fewer  drug  interactions  than  the  first-generation  agents.  The  first-generation  drugs  have  an  established  therapeutic  range  for  serum  levels  that  can  guide  therapy  during  long-term  management  and  that  correlate  with  acute  toxicity  from  an  overdose.  Consistent  therapeutic  levels  have  not  been  established  for  the  second  and  third-generation  anticonvulsants,  and  serum  levels  are  not  a  useful  guide  to  therapy.