Assessment of the Effectiveness of Anticonvulsant Therapy in Pregnant Women with Epilepsy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61788/njn.v1i17.12Keywords:
epilepsy, pregnancy, partial, generalized, monotherapy, polytherapyAbstract
96 pregnant women with epilepsy aged 17 years to 41 years have been studied. Partial forms of epilepsy have been determined in 65 women (68%), generalized forms - in 31 (32%). In 11 (11%) women seizures first appeared during this pregnancy. The seizure frequency increased in 23 (27%), decreased in 21 (25%), remained unchanged in 14 (16%), 27 (32%) of women were seizure-free during pregnancy (10 of them were seizure-free during one year before pregnancy). 68 (71%) pregnant women received antiepileptic drugs (AED), 22 (23%) - did not received, 6 (6%) stopped taking AEDs from 7-9 weeks of pregnancy. Monotherapy received 63 (93%), polytherapy 5 (7%) of pregnant women. In monotherapy the seizure frequency increased in 18 (30.5%), decreased in 10 (16.95%), remained unchanged in 10 (16.95%), 21 (35.6%) pregnant women remained seizure-free. In polytherapy seizure frequency increased in 2 women, decreased in 2, remained unchanged in 1. We have identified the inadequate prescribing of the carbamazepine (CBZ) in Juvenile Absence Epilepsy in 1 pregnant and recommended to replace CBZ by other AED after delivery; correction of therapy in 9 women was conducted before (in 2) and during (in7) pregnancy. As result of our correction of the therapy seizure frequency decreased in 5, remained unchanged in 1 pregnant women, 3 women were seizure-free. In general, as result of dynamic monitoring of pregnant women and appropriate choice of AED and its dose the significant control of seizures (seizure frequency decreased in 25%, seizure-free women - 32%) has been achieved in majority of surveyed pregnant women with epilepsy.
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