Abstract
A study of VPA based on a comparison of mean plasma levels, plasma peak latency times and plasma half-lives after rectal and oral administration was conducted in 9 children between 6 months and 10 years of age suffering from various forms of epileptic seizure, before they received chronic VPA treatment. Each child received an oral dose of 20 mg/kg and after two days a rectal dose of 20 mg/kg and the mean plasma concentrations were determined at intervals for both modes of administration. An identical plasma concentration for both after 24 h showed that the quantity of drug absorbed was the same. The mean half-life varied according to age: 11 ± 2 h for children over 3 years of age and 9 ± 1 h for those under 3. The results of the study, in line with the few other available published data, thus confirm the validity of rectal VPA administration.
Sommario
È stato intrapreso uno studio sul V.P.A. basato sul confronto tra livello plasmatico medio, tempo di latenza del picco plasmatico, valori di emivita del farmaco somministrato per via rettale e per via orale.
Nove pazienti di età compresa tra i 6 mesi ed i 10 anni affetti da diverse forme di crisi epilettiche e non ancora sottoposti a terapia, ricevevano da prima per via orale e dopo due giorni per via rettale, una dose dapprima unica di 20 mg/kg di V.P.A. sotto forma di soluzione.
Per le due vie di somministrazione e per ogni tempo si calcolava la concentrazione plasmatica media del farmaco.
Una identica concentrazione plasmatica, ottenuta con le due diverse vie di somministrazione, dopo 24 ore confermava che la quantità di farmaco assorbita era la medesima.
L'emivita media variava in base all'età: 11 h. ± 2 per i bambini di età superiore ai 3 anni, 9 h. ± 1 per l'età inferiore ai 3 anni.
I risultati del nostro studio, in accordo con i pochi altri dati esistenti in letteratura, confermano quindi la validità della somministrazione rettale del V.P.A..
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Scanabissi, E., Dal Pozzo, D., Franzoni, E. et al. Rectal administration of sodium valproate in children. Ital J Neuro Sci 5, 189–193 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02043222
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02043222