The effect of acidic beverage versus mineral water on the change in serum phenobarbital concentrations: a randomized clinical trial on children with seizure

To assess the effect of an acidic beverage (Orange juice) on the change in serum Phenobarbital concentrations in children with seizure who take Phenobarbital as the main treatment. We did a parallel design and placebo controlled randomized clinical trial. Patients attending Heshmatiyeh Hospital (Iran) were recruited from October 2016 to December 2017. Forty patients randomly assigned to either experimental group or control group. Firstly, 5 mL blood sample was taken from both groups to measure serum Phenobarbital concentration before experiment. Then, one oral dose of Phenobarbital (2.5 mg/kg) with 100 mL of corporate Orange juice (pH = 3.5) (experiment group) or 100 mL of mineral water (neutral pH) (control group) was given to each group, respectively. After 2 h of administration, another blood sample was taken. The high-performance liquid chromatographic system was used for measurement of serum Phenobarbital concentration. There was significant increase in serum Phenobarbital concentrations after taking Phenobarbital in experiment group in comparison to control group. Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in change of serum Phenobarbital concentrations in experiment group versus control group. The results of the current trial indicate that the level of serum Phenobarbital in the experiment group was higher than that of control group.