Evaluation of the effects of antiepileptic drugs on complete blood count parameters

Abstract

Aim: The incidence of pediatric epilepsy ranges between 1-3%, and various anticonvulsant drugs are used in its treatment. Seizure type, effectiveness and side effects are important in drug selection. Various hematological side effects of anticonvulsants have been reported. This study aims to determine the hematological side effects of the anticonvulsants used in our clinic. Methods: A total of 87 epilepsy patients between the ages of 1 and 15 years, who were diagnosed and followed up in the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic of Health Sciences University, Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital between January 2017-2018 and who received anticonvulsant medication for at least 3 months were included in this study. The blood values and hematological side effects of the anticonvulsants were noted from the patient files. The statistical analyses were performed with IBM SPSS Statistics v.22 (SPSS IBM, Turkey). Results: Among all, 44.8% of the patients were using Valproic acid (VPA), 28.7%, Levetiracetam (LEV), 12.6%, Oxcarbazepine (OXC), 8%, Phenobarbital (PB), and 4.6%, Carbamazepine (CBZ). Platelet values were below 150,000/ul in 7.6% of VPA users and 14.2% of PB users. The hemoglobin value fell below 10 g/dl in 2.5% of VPA users, 14.2% of PB users, and 8% of LEV users. Absolute neutrophil count fell below 1500/ul in 9% of the patients using OXC and 14.2% of those using PB. The decrease in platelet values before and after anticonvulsant use was statistically significant (P=0.039), while the decrease in hemoglobin and neutrophil values were not. Conclusion: In patients using antiepileptic drugs, complete blood count may be affected. Periodic monitoring of blood parameters is important in the close follow-up of patients. It is not known exactly how and how often the hematological side effects of antiepileptic drugs take place. Future studies on this subject are necessary.

Keywords

• antiepileptic drug
• child
• complete blood count

Antiepileptiklerin kan sayımı üzerine etkilerinin değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Amaç: Çocukluk çağında epilepsi görülme oranı %1-3 arasındadır. Epilepsi tedavisinde çeşitli antikonvülzan ilaçlar kullanılmaktadır. İlaç seçiminde nöbet tipi, ilacın etkinliği ve ilacın yan etkileri önemlidir. Antikonvülzan kullanımının çeşitli hematolojik yan etkileri bildirilmiştir. Bu çalışmanın amacı kliniğimizde kullanılan antikonvülzanlara bağlı hematolojik yan etkileri ve bu etkilerin sıklığını saptamaktır. Yöntemler: Ocak 2017 - Ocak 2018 tarihleri arasında Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Okmeydanı Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi Çocuk Nöroloji polikliniğinde epilepsi tanısı almış ve en az 3 aydır antikonvülzan tedavi verilmiş, 1 - 15 yaş arasındaki 87 hastanın dosyalarından kan değerleri ve ilaçların hematolojik yan etkileri kaydedildi. Çalışmada elde edilen bulgular değerlendirilirken, istatistiksel analizler için IBM SPSS Statistics 22 (IBM SPSS, Türkiye) programı kullanıldı. Bulgular: Çalışmamızda hastaların %44,8'i Valproik asit (VPA), %28,7'si Levatiresetam (LEV), %12,6'sı Okskarbazepin (OXC), %8'i Fenobarbital (PB), %4,6'sı Karbamazepin (CBZ) kullanıyordu. VPA kullananların %7,6'sında, PB kullananların %14,2'sinde trombosit değerinin 150.000/ul altına düştüğü saptandı. VPA kullananların %2,5'inde, PB kullananların %14.2 'sinde, LEV kullananların %8'inde hemoglobin değerinin 10 g/dl altına düştüğü saptandı. OXC kullanan hastaların %9'unda, PB kullananların %14,2'sinde mutlak nötrofil sayısının 1500/ul altına düştüğü saptandı. İlaç öncesi ve sonrası değerler karşılaştırıldığında, hemoglobin ve nötrofil değerlerindeki düşüş anlamlı bulunmazken, trombosit değerlerindeki düşüş istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu (P=0,039). Sonuç: Anti epileptik ilaç kullanan hastaların kan sayımı etkilenebilmektedir. Hastaların takibinde kan parametrelerinin periyodik olarak yakından izlenmesi önemlidir. Antiepileptik ilaçların hematolojik yan etkisinin nasıl ve ne sıklıkta olduğu tam olarak bilinmemektedir. Bu konuda yapılacak çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Antiepileptik ilaç
• Çocuk
• Kan sayımı

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