Toxicidad de ácido valproico en niños. Revisión bibliográfica

Abstract

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide, characterized by abnormal electrical activity in the brain, which can manifest in different clinical forms. Valproic acid (VPA) is an effective and safe first-line antiepileptic drug (AED), however, its prolonged use is related to the appearance of adverse reactions, with the pediatric population being a highly vulnerable group to suffer from them. The present review aimed to collect and describe the most frequent adverse reactions of the use of valproic acid (VPA) in children, through a literature analysis during the years 2013 and 2023. The research methodology was descriptive documentary through a bibliographic search in four different databases: Pubmed, ScienceDirect, SciELO and Scopus. The results showed that metabolic disorders were the most frequent adverse reactions, including hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and thyroid function imbalance. This finding underscores the importance of regular and careful monitoring of pediatric patients receiving valproic acid to promptly detect and manage any adverse effects that may arise.