Distribution of Phenobarbital in Serum, Brain and Other Organs from Pediatric Patients

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Whether serum levels of phenobarbital [used to treat seizures] were representative of their concentrations in the brains obtained from 11 autopsied patients, including premature and full-term babies, infants and children was determined. Estimation of phenobarbital concentrations in plasma and organs was performed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Brain phenobarbital concentrations correlated well with serum levels (r = 0.82, P < 0.01, n [no.] = 11), giving a regression line with a slope of 0.75. Estimating the serum phenobarbital concentration during clinical pediatric practice evidently gives a good indication of the brain concentration.