[Critical remarks about the monitoring of antiepileptic drug levels in pediatric age (author's transl)].

The clinical use of blood dosages of antiepileptic drugs in a pediatric population is discussed. This study is focused on three main problems: 1) Analysis of the causes affecting the relationship between posology and blood levels of antiepileptic drugs. The significance of age and pharmacologic interaction are stressed. 2) Critical discussion of the meaning of therapeutic range. It is confirmed that, especially in pediatric age, it is not possible to establish a clear cut parallelism between blood level and therapeutic response. 3) Study of the relationship between blood level and side effects; chronic effects on hepatic function are specially considered.