Evaluation of side effects of antiepileptic drugs in children referred to Tabriz Children's Hospital - during the years 2016 to 2020

Abstract

Background: One of the problems of children with epilepsy is the unintended side effects of antiepileptic drugs, which leads to hospitalization of children and the need to review their medications. Therefore, this issue requires constant monitoring of health officials and physicians to implement strategies to prevent and manage drug complications in children. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of side effects of antiepileptic drugs in children hospitalized in the Children's Hospital of Tabriz and to determine the type of drug and its side effects from the beginning of April 1995 to the end of March 1998. Methods: This study was performed retrospectively for four years. Patient demographic information and disease-related characteristics and side effects of drugs were recorded in the relevant questionnaire. Results: A total of 86 children with antiepileptic drug complications were studied, of which 64% were boys and 36% were girls with a mean age of 4 years, and most were 46.5% urban. The highest number of side effects was related to phenobarbital with 88.4%, carbamazepine 4.7% and sodium valproate 1.2%, respectively, and the rest of the side effects included 2 drugs. Most parents of sick children had 89.5% undergraduate education. Types of seizures include generalized tonic-clonic epilepsy 81.4%, status epilepticus 3.5%, idiopathic 4.7% and meningitis 2.3%, febrile seizure 2.3% and overdose (misuse and suicide). 8. was registered. Skin rash was the most common with 82.5% of patients, followed by fever and chills with 48%. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that complications are more in the age group between 0 to 6 years and skin rash is the most common complication with 82.5% of patients.