Dilantin Levels With Continuous Delivery of Enteral Feedings - A Pilot Study
Status:
Terminated
Trial end date:
2007-12-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
It is unclear how enteral nutrition via a feeding tube should be given when a patient is
receiving enteral Dilantin. Some caregivers hold the feedings for one hour before and one
hour after the Dilantin dose to insure adequate absorption of the medication and some
caregivers think that the feedings do not need to be interrupted.
Hypothesis: Dilantin levels will remain therapeutic when enteral nutrition is given
continuously during the administration of enteral Dilantin.
The objective of this study is to determine Dilantin levels when enteral feedings are given
by the continuous method. Thirty patients will be studied. When Dilantin levels are in the
therapeutic range for 2 consecutive days on interrupted feedings (baseline), the patient will
be switched to continuous feedings uninterrupted for the medication, for 7 days. Dilantin
levels will be checked daily and if the levels become subtherapeutic an intravenous (IV)
bolus of Dilantin will be given and the enteral dose will be increased (doses determined by
primary caregiver). Serum albumin will be measured at baseline and at the beginning and end
of each week, in order to calculate free Dilantin.