Effect of L-carnitine treatment for valproate-induced hepatotoxicity

✍ Scribed by Bohan, T. P.; Helton, E.; McDonald, I.; Konig, S.; Gazitt, S.; Sugimoto, T.; Scheffner, D.; Cusmano, L.; Li, S.; Koch, G.

• Book ID: 126517896
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams and Wilkins
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 1022 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0028-3878
• DOI: 10.1212/WNL.56.10.1405

✦ Synopsis

The authors analyzed the association of L-carnitine treatment with hepatic survival in 92 patients with severe, symptomatic, valproate-induced hepatotoxicity. Forty-eight percent of the 42 patients treated with L-carnitine survived, but only 10% of the 50 patients treated solely with aggressive supportive care survived (p Ͻ 0.001). Early intervention with IV rather than enteral L-carnitine was associated with the greatest hepatic survival. Specifically, all 10 patients who were diagnosed in Ͻ5 days and treated with IV L-carnitine survived. Most patients had features of chronic illness and most children appeared to be malnourished.