Evaluation of phenytoin serum levels following a loading dose in the acute hospital setting

To access publisher's full text version of this article click on the hyperlink belowPURPOSE: Due to the complex pharmacokinetic profiles of phenytoin (PHT) and fosphenytoin (FOS), achieving sustained, targeted serum PHT levels in the first day of use is challenging. METHODS: A population based approach was used to analyze total serum PHT (tPHT) level within 2-24h of PHT/FOS loading with or without supplementary maintenance or additional loading doses among PHT-naïve patients in the acute hospital setting. Adequate tPHT serum level was defined as ≥20μg/mL. RESULTS: Among 494 patients with 545 tPHT serum levels obtained in the first 2-24h after the loading dose (LD), tPHT serum levels of eitherClinical & Translational Science Institute (CTSI) of the University of Rocheste