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Professor of Pharmacy and Neurology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Published Online, April 10, 2007. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1H591
Format: The size of this book makes it convenient for carrying in a lab coat pocket. It is intended to be a quick reference in the clinical setting, and the format allows for its transport to patient care areas. The introduction mentions a personal digital assistant version, but this was not made available for this review.
Audience: The authors state that this book is "directed at any health care professional who uses antiepileptic drugs and will be especially useful for the neurologist, psychiatrist, and pain specialist." I see this book as being most useful to clinicians who use AEDs in their practice but who frequently need a quick review of a particular drug or its use.
Purpose: This book was written for clinicians who are in a patient care setting—it does not attempt to be an exhaustive review of the major AEDs. The authors state that they "chose to make this book concise and concentrate on efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and drug interactions." Because the book is intended for a quick review, long lists of adverse drug effects are not provided. More definitive, in-depth information needs to be found elsewhere.
Content: Clinician's Guide to Antiepileptic Drug Use is divided into chapters that discuss individual AEDs and concludes with a chapter of summary tables. The individual chapters are written in outline form rather than as a narrative. The outline is divided into the following sections: mechanism of action, efficacy, Cochrane meta-analysis, professional society recommendations, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) indications, adverse effects, pharmacokinetics and drug interactions, and dosing recommendations. The chapter on efficacy assesses clinical trials of AEDs used for epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, pain, and headache. When there are many studies, the authors select the ones that they feel are the best. They reference all of the Cochrane reviews that were available when the book was written. The tables summarize FDA and professional society recommendations for several disorders. Using his extensive experience in conducting clinical trials and in practice, Privitera chose an AED for the treatment of different types of epilepsy.
Usability: The book is concise and it is easy to review the information provided.
Highlights: The outline format allows the reader to quickly find the desired information.
Limitations: The limitation of this book is the same as its strength; it is not a definitive text. Although it provides highlights that can be found quickly, it does not cover all of the AEDs. For example, the benzodiazepines are not discussed.
Comparison with Other Related Books or Products: This is a unique book for antiepileptic drugs. It does not provide the depth of Antiepileptic Drugs, 5th edition, but it can be carried into a clinical area in a lab coat pocket.
Reviewer's Summary: I believe that the authors achieved their goal of providing a concise book that can be quickly accessed in a clinical setting. Practitioners and/or offices that specialize in neurology, psychiatry, and pain will find it especially useful, while libraries and individuals seeking a definitive textbook will look elsewhere.
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