Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders in children. It is commonly treated with antiepileptic drugs. In cases of intractable epilepsy, a ketogenic diet can be used for treatment. The ketogenic diet is a dietary method with a high fat, low carbohydrate and the necessary protein intake. The implementation of the ketogenic diet is challenging because the carbohydrate content must be monitored both in the food and the medications that patients receive during the ketogenic diet. Therefore, these patients use medicines that contain no or as little carbohydrates as possible.
The aim of our study was to analyse the qualitative and quantitative composition of medicines in relation to carbohydrates, to evaluate their suitability for use in children on the ketogenic diet, and to find alternatives for unsuitable medicines. The main sources of data on the medicines’ composition were the Summaries of Product Characteristics, the Patient Information Leaflets, formulations and solvent compositions. We reviewed the medicines prescribed to children with intractable epilepsy at the University Medical Centre Ljubljana (UMCL) in the period from 03. 01. 2020 to 09. 12. 2021, as well as all extemporaneously compounded liquid oral medicines prepared at the UMCL. We obtained the data on prescribed medicines through the eRecept module of the eZdravje system, and the data on extemporaneously compounded medicines at the UMCL pharmacy.
During the two-year analysis period, a total of 2679 prescriptions for 332 different medicines were prescribed to 335 patients at the UMCL. Most of the prescribed drugs belonged to the ATC group N – Nervous system (128/332; 38.6 %). Of the medicines prescribed, 233/332 (70.2 %) were not suitable for the ketogenic diet. We also searched for alternatives for the most common unsuitable industrially produced medicines, both among other industrially produced medicines and extemporaneously compounded medicines, but we did not find them for 11/32 (34.4 %). Extemporaneously compounded medicines belonged most frequently to the ATC group C - Cardiovascular system (35/166; 21.1 %). Of them, 135/166 (81.3 %) were not suitable for the ketogenic diet. The most common unsuitable carbohydrates were sucrose, glycerol, sorbitol, ethanol, various forms of lactose and starch. The most common alternative was to replace unsuitable solvents (ORA-Sweet®, ORA Blend®, ORA-Sweet® SF, SickKids®, syrup simplex) with ORA-Plus®. Data on medicines’ suitability for use on the ketogenic diet will be entered into the UMCL clinical information system. Our review will thus facilitate the prescription of medicines for children on the ketogenic diet.
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