Pharmacological treatment and drug regimens in epilepsy

Introduction. Epilepsy and the epileptic syndromes are neurological disorders which, because of their prevalence, represent a major world health problem, affecting 1% of the population. However, as well as the large number of persons involved, one must also consider the serious qualitative problems caused in interpersonal social and employment aspects which affect the life of the patient Patients and methods, lye report a prospective study of the population corresponding to the Policlinico Moncada of La Habana during the period between January 1996 and May 1997, with the objective of determining the drug regimen most used in people with this condition, We therefore selected 135 epileptics. The study involved the following aspects: drugs most regularly used, regimen and relation to the control of seizures as well as the most frequent combinations of drugs. Results and conclusion. Our results showed that phenytoin, phenobarbital and carbamazepine were the drugs most regularly used and the commonest regimens of polytherapy were: combinations of carbamazepine-phenobarbital, phenytoin-phenobarbital and carbamazepine-sodium valproate [REV NEUROL 1999; 29: 714-8].