Editing Phenytoin (section)

===Seizures===
* [[Tonic-clonic seizures]]: Mainly used in the prophylactic management of tonic-clonic seizures with complex symptomatology (psychomotor seizures). A period of 5–10 days of dosing may be required to achieve anticonvulsant effects.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* [[Focal seizures]]: Mainly used to protect against the development of focal seizures with complex symptomatology (psychomotor and [[temporal lobe seizure]]s). Also effective in controlling focal seizures with autonomic symptoms.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* [[Absence seizures]]: Not used in treatment of pure absence seizures due to risk for increasing frequency of seizures. However, can be used in combination with other anticonvulsants during combined absence and tonic-clonic seizures.{{cn|date=January 2025}}
* Seizures during surgery: A 2018 meta-analysis found that early antiepileptic treatment with either phenytoin or phenobarbital reduced the risk of seizure in the first week after neurosurgery for brain tumors.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Joiner EF, Youngerman BE, Hudson TS, Yang J, Welch MR, McKhann GM, Neugut AI, Bruce JN | title = Effectiveness of perioperative antiepileptic drug prophylaxis for early and late seizures following oncologic neurosurgery: a meta-analysis | journal = Journal of Neurosurgery | volume = 130 | issue = 4 | pages = 1274–1282 | date = April 2018 | pmid = 29701546 | doi = 10.3171/2017.10.JNS172236 | doi-access = free }}</ref>
* [[Status epilepticus]]: Considered after failed treatment using a [[benzodiazepine]] due to slow [[onset of action]].<ref name=Lexi2014>{{cite journal|title=Phenytoin|journal=Lexi-Comp Online|url=http://online.lexi.com/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/essential_ashp/410258#uses-nested|access-date=18 April 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304050234/http://online.lexi.com/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/essential_ashp/410258#uses-nested|archive-date=4 March 2016}}</ref>
Though phenytoin has been used to treat seizures in infants, as of 2023, its effectiveness in this age group has been evaluated in only one study. Due to the lack of a comparison group, the evidence is inconclusive.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors =  Treadwell JR, Wu M, Tsou AY | title = Management of Infantile Epilepsies | date = 2022 | pmid = 36383706 | doi = 10.23970/ahrqepccer252 | journal = AHRQ Comparative Effectiveness Reviews | location = Rockville (MD) | publisher = Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US) | s2cid = 254357105 | id = Report No.: 22(23)-EHC004 2021-SR-01 }}</ref>