PHENOBARBITAL (phenobarbital)


Drug overview for PHENOBARBITAL (phenobarbital):

Generic name: PHENOBARBITAL (fee-no-BARB-ih-tall)
Drug class: Anticonvulsants
Therapeutic class: Central Nervous System Agents

Phenobarbital is a barbiturate anxiolytic and sedative. Phenobarbital is a barbiturate-derivative anticonvulsant.

As an anticonvulsant, phenobarbital is used principally in the management Phenobarbital and phenobarbital sodium are used principally for routine of tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures and partial seizures. Phenobarbital sedation or to relieve anxiety and provide sedation preoperatively. Because may be used as the initial drug, particularly in infants and young several hours are required to achieve maximal effects, phenobarbital is not children, but more often is administered concomitantly with phenytoin or generally used orally as a hypnotic.

other anticonvulsants. In infants and young children, phenobarbital is effective in the prevention of febrile seizures. Routine use of Phenobarbital may also be used to withdraw barbiturate or nonbarbiturate hypnotics in patients who are physically dependent on these drugs.

phenobarbital for long-term prophylactic treatment of febrile seizures in children is controversial; most clinicians recommend selective use of the drug in these children and a careful assessment of the potential risks The drug is also used in the prophylactic management of epilepsy. (See Phenobarbital 28:12.04 and the Anticonvulsants General Statement 28:12.) versus benefits. Children with febrile seizures who may be at particular risk of future difficulties and for whom prophylactic therapy is probably The usefulness of parenteral phenobarbital sodium in terminating acute indicated include those whose first febrile seizure occurs at an early age seizure episodes is limited by its relatively slow onset of action.

(i.e., at less than 18 months of age); those who exhibit substantial abnormalities in neurologic function at the time of the first febrile Studies indicate that phenobarbital is effective in the prevention and episode or who have a history of substantial developmental delays; those treatment of hyperbilirubinemia in neonates+. The drug has also been used to lower bilirubin concentrations in patients with congenital nonhemolytic who have febrile seizures that are complex, persist for more than 15 minutes, have focal features, or occur in series with a combined duration unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia+ or chronic intrahepatic cholestasis+. In limited studies, phenobarbital has been useful in the management of of more than 30 minutes, including those in whom they occur as a hyperlipemia associated with intrahepatic and extrahepatic cholestasis+.

recurrence; and those with a family (i.e., parents, siblings) history of afebrile seizures. Although IV phenobarbital sodium is occasionally used as initial therapy, IV diazepam is generally considered the drug of choice for termination of status epilepticus; parenterally administered phenobarbital sodium may be useful to prevent seizure recurrence after seizures are initially terminated with other anticonvulsants (e.g., diazepam, phenytoin sodium) or for termination of status epilepticus that does not respond to initial therapy with other anticonvulsants. The usefulness of parenteral phenobarbital sodium in terminating acute seizure episodes is limited by the slow onset of action of the drug.
DRUG IMAGES
  • PHENOBARBITAL 32.4 MG TABLET
    PHENOBARBITAL 32.4 MG TABLET
The following indications for PHENOBARBITAL (phenobarbital) have been approved by the FDA:

Indications:
None.

Professional Synonyms:
None.