Adjunctive XXXX for uncontrolled partial-onset @entity410 : findings from a prospective audit.

@entity1 @entity410 @entity11974 @entity1017 @entity302 @entity4481 @entity2055
AIMS: @entity4481 ( @entity11974 ) was licensed in Europe as an add-on antiepileptic drug (AED) for the treatment of partial-onset @entity410 in 2004. This audit assessed the response to adjunctive @entity11974 in @entity1 with uncontrolled @entity410 . METHODS: @entity11974 was titrated in 135 @entity1 [73 @entity1 ; 62 @entity1 , aged 18-76 (median 44 years) until one of the following occurred: >=  6 months' @entity410 freedom, >=  50% or < 50% @entity410 reduction over 6 months; @entity11974 withdrawal because of adverse effects, lack of efficacy or both. RESULTS: Of the 135 @entity1 , 14 (10.4%) became @entity410 -free for >=  6 months (median @entity11974 dose 300 mg/day; range 75-600 mg). A >=  50% @entity410 reduction occurred in 33 (24.4%) @entity1 ; 20 (14.8%) had < 50% reduction. @entity11974 was withdrawn in 68 (50.4%) (40 adverse effects, seven lack of efficacy and 21 both). Commonest problems resulting in withdrawal were sedation (n = 18), @entity1017 (n = 14) and @entity2055 (n = 9). There was a positive correlation between increasing dose and @entity1017 (r = 0.42, P = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Add-on @entity11974 benefited 50% of @entity1 , but only 10% achieved 6 months' @entity410 freedom. Adverse effects, most commonly sedation, dose-related @entity1017 and @entity2055 , led to drug discontinuation by 45%. Prospective audits of novel AEDs are a useful adjunct to randomized, controlled trials in managing @entity302 .
