Anti-seizure medication
Pharmaceutical compound
Phenytoin Pronunciation Trade names Dilantin, others[ 1] AHFS /Drugs.com Monograph MedlinePlus a682022 License data
Pregnancy category
AU : D
Toxic to reproduction
Routes of administration By mouth , intravenous Drug class Anticonvulsant ATC code Legal status
Bioavailability 70–100% (oral), 24.4% (rectal) Protein binding 95%[ 3] Metabolism Liver Onset of action 10–30 min (intravenous)[ 4] Elimination half-life 10–22 hours[ 3] Duration of action 24 hours[ 4] Excretion Urinary (23–70%), bile[ 5]
5,5-diphenylimidazolidine-2,4-dione
CAS Number PubChem CID IUPHAR/BPS DrugBank ChemSpider UNII KEGG ChEBI ChEMBL CompTox Dashboard (EPA ) ECHA InfoCard 100.000.298 Formula C15 H12 N2 O2 Molar mass 252.273 g·mol−1 3D model (JSmol )
C1=CC=C(C=C1)C2(C(=O)NC(=O)N2)C3=CC=CC=C3
InChI=1S/C15H12N2O2/c18-13-15(17-14(19)16-13,11-7-3-1-4-8-11)12-9-5-2-6-10-12/h1-10H,(H2,16,17,18,19)
N Key:CXOFVDLJLONNDW-UHFFFAOYSA-N
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Phenytoin (PHT ), sold under the brand name Dilantin among others,[ 1] is an anti-seizure medication .[ 3] It is useful for the prevention of tonic-clonic seizures (also known as grand mal seizures) and focal seizures , but not absence seizures .[ 3] The intravenous form, fosphenytoin , is used for status epilepticus that does not improve with benzodiazepines .[ 3] It may also be used for certain heart arrhythmias or neuropathic pain .[ 3] It can be taken intravenously or by mouth.[ 3] The intravenous form generally begins working within 30 minutes and is effective for roughly 24 hours.[ 4] Blood levels can be measured to determine the proper dose.[ 3]
Common side effects include nausea, stomach pain, loss of appetite, poor coordination, increased hair growth , and enlargement of the gums .[ 3] Potentially serious side effects include sleepiness , self harm , liver problems, bone marrow suppression , low blood pressure , toxic epidermal necrolysis ,[ 3] and atrophy of the cerebellum .[ 6] [ 7] [ 8] There is evidence that use during pregnancy results in abnormalities in the baby.[ 3] It appears to be safe to use when breastfeeding .[ 3] Alcohol may interfere with the medication's effects.[ 3]
Phenytoin was first made in 1908 by the German chemist Heinrich Biltz and found useful for seizures in 1936.[ 9] [ 10] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines .[ 11] Phenytoin is available as a generic medication .[ 12] In 2020, it was the 260th most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1 million prescriptions.[ 13] [ 14]
^ a b Cite error: The named reference genericnames
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^ Anvisa (31 March 2023). "RDC Nº 784 - Listas de Substâncias Entorpecentes, Psicotrópicas, Precursoras e Outras sob Controle Especial" [Collegiate Board Resolution No. 784 - Lists of Narcotic, Psychotropic, Precursor, and Other Substances under Special Control] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Diário Oficial da União (published 4 April 2023). Archived from the original on 3 August 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2023 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Phenytoin" . The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015 .
^ a b c Marx JA (2010). Rosen's emergency medicine: concepts and clinical practice (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Mosby/Elsevier. p. 1352. ISBN 9780323054720 .
^ Parker KD, Elliott HW, Wright JA, Nomof N, Hine CH (March 1970). "Blood and urine concentrations of subjects receiving barbiturates, meprobamate, glutethimide, or diphenylhydantoin". Clinical Toxicology . 3 (1). Informa UK Limited: 131– 145. doi :10.3109/15563657008990108 . PMID 5520387 .
^ Algahtani H, Shirah B, Alqahtani AJ, Al-Malki AQ (December 2020). "Irreversible Cerebellar Atrophy as a Complication of Short-Term Phenytoin Exposure: Clinical Improvement Following Discontinuation of the Culprit" . Journal of Epilepsy Research . 10 (2): 96– 99. doi :10.14581/jer.20016 . PMC 7903046 . PMID 33659203 .
^ Ferner R, Day R, Bradberry SM (July 2022). "Phenytoin and damage to the cerebellum - a systematic review of published cases". Expert Opinion on Drug Safety . 21 (7): 957– 977. doi :10.1080/14740338.2022.2058487 . PMID 35325581 .
^ Baba Y, Gaillard F (10 April 2017), "Phenytoin cerebellar degeneration" , Radiopaedia.org , doi :10.53347/rid-52506 , retrieved 22 December 2024
^ Aicardi J (2008). Epilepsy : a comprehensive textbook (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 1431. ISBN 9780781757775 .
^ Wolfson AB (2010). Harwood-Nuss' clinical practice of emergency medicine (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 1415. ISBN 9780781789431 . Retrieved 9 June 2016 .
^ World Health Organization (2019). World Health Organization model list of essential medicines: 21st list 2019 . Geneva: World Health Organization. hdl :10665/325771 . WHO/MVP/EMP/IAU/2019.06. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
^ Hamilton RJ (2013). Tarascon pocket pharmacopoeia (14 ed.). Burlington, MA.: Jones & Bartlett Learning. p. 294. ISBN 9781449673635 .
^ "The Top 300 of 2020" . ClinCalc . Retrieved 7 October 2022 .
^ "Phenytoin - Drug Usage Statistics" . ClinCalc . Retrieved 7 October 2022 .