TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Phenobarbital and Primidone A1 - RHONEY, DENISE H. A1 - McALLEN, KAREN J. A1 - LIU-DeRYKE, XI A1 - PARKER JR., DENNIS A2 - Cohen, Henry PY - 2015 T2 - Casebook in Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Drug Dosing AB - Phenobarbital is a barbituric acid derivative with hypnotic activity and central nervous system (CNS) depressant effects. Phenobarbital is one of the oldest anticonvulsant agents still used in clinical practice. It is FDA-approved for short-term sedation/hypnosis and treatment of generalized or partial onset seizures and provides an alternative to treat refractory status epilepticus. It is less commonly used as the first-line anticonvulsant due to disadvantages such as cognitive impairment, respiratory depression, sedation, and significant drug interactions. The anticonvulsant activity of phenobarbital is thought to be due to its effect on postsynaptic GABA receptors, which increases seizure threshold but the full mechanism is not completely understood.1 Phenobarbital has also been used off-label to treat alcohol withdrawal, neonatal seizures, febrile seizures, neonate hyperbilirubinemia, and adults with congenital nonhemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia or chronic cholestasis. SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/10/16 UR - accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1112258493 ER -