Author: SJ Kolb and B Litt
Support information on page: ICU Care > Electively admitted: Pharmacologic concerns
| Drug | Form |
| Phenytoin | Suspension |
| Carbamazepine | Suspension; can empty capsule contents from
Carbatrol brand and inject with water |
| Valproic acid | Syrup; can administer valproate (Depakote)
sprinkles and inject with water |
| Lamotrigine* | Pulverize chewable 25 mg tabs and inject with water |
| Topiramate | Administer sprinkles (25 mg) and inject with water |
| Phenobarbital | Liquid |
| Gabapentin** | Liquid; or empty capsules into solution and inject |
| Levetiracetam | Liquid |
| Oxcarbazepine | Suspension (or may substitute 200 mg of
carbamazepine for each 300 mg of
oxcarbazepine, if no contraindication) |
| Zonisamide | Unknown (beware of sulfa allergies) |
* From BE Gidal, GD Anderson, A Lanning, et al. Lack of effect of VPA concentration on lamotrigine pharmacokinetics in developmentally disabled patients with epilepsy. Epilepsy Res 2000;42:23-31.
**BE Gidal, personal communication, July 2001.
Adapted from: Kolb SJ and Litt B. Management of epilepsy and comorbid disorders in the emergency room and intensive care unit. In: Ettinger AB and Devinsky O, eds. Managing epilepsy and co-existing disorders. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2002;515-535.
With permission from Elsevier (www.elsevier.com).
Reviewed and revised May 2004 by Steven C. Schachter, MD, epilepsy.com Editorial Board.
