Relationship of dose and serum concentration of valproic acid in 273 cases of children with epilepsy

OBJECTIVE To study the dose-effect relationship of sodium valproate treatment for children with epilepsy for clinical application of epilepsy in children. METHODS The concentration of serum valproic acid was detected by fluorescence polarization immunoassay(FPIA) in 273 cases of children with epilepsy. RESULTS The dose to reach similar valproic acid serum concentration was significantly different among different age groups.1 to 3-year-old children required the highest dose.Taking similar dose of different preparations of sodium valproate,the average serum concentration of sustained-release tablet was significantly higher than that of the general solution and tablet.The correlation of valproic acid serum concentration and daily dose according to body surface area was better than that according to body weight. CONCLUSION The valproic acid serum concentration was poorly correlated with the dose.It is suggested to monitor the serum concentration and carry out individual administration in the clinical application of sodium valproate in the treatment of epilepsy in children.