Valproate / divalproex (Depakote)

ATI-format individual drug card with NCLEX-focused assessment, safety, teaching, and source attribution.

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Valproate / divalproex (Depakote)

ATI class: Antiepileptic / Mood stabilizer

Action

  • ATI/source-folder candidate for Valproate / divalproex (Depakote); verify mechanism against the source table before validation.

Therapeutic use

  • Review under Seizure / Bipolar Disorder medication safety.

Nursing assessment

  • Monitor seizure frequency or mood symptoms.
  • Review liver function, platelet count, and serum level when ordered.
  • Assess for abdominal pain, vomiting, unusual bleeding, or bruising.

Administration

  • Verify route against the order and source table.

Side effects

  • Verify common side effects against the source table.

Adverse effects

  • Hepatotoxicity
  • Pancreatitis
  • Thrombocytopenia
  • Sedation
  • Weight gain
  • Teratogenic risk

Interactions

  • Other CNS depressants can increase sedation.
  • Aspirin and highly protein-bound drugs can alter free valproate.
  • Enzyme-inducing antiepileptics can affect levels.

Contraindications

  • Significant hepatic disease
  • Known urea cycle disorder
  • Pregnancy for migraine prevention

Precautions

  • Use caution with pregnancy potential, liver risk, and bleeding risk.
  • Do not discontinue abruptly without provider guidance.

Client teaching

  • Report severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, jaundice, unusual bleeding, or worsening mood.
  • Use reliable contraception when applicable and discuss pregnancy plans.
  • Keep lab appointments.

Medication outcomes

  • Therapeutic response with no priority adverse effects.

Antidote / rescue

  • No specific antidote is seeded; hold/question unsafe doses and manage toxicity per provider, facility, or poison-control guidance.

NCLEX priority cues

  • Abdominal pain plus vomiting can signal pancreatitis.
  • Jaundice or unusual bleeding changes this from routine therapy to priority review.
  • Mood-stabilizer use still requires suicide-risk assessment.

Medication classes

Antiepileptics

Source attribution

Google Drive source topic: Seizure / Bipolar Disorder
google-drive
Sentinel pharmacology API reference
sentinel-api
Manual ATI-format NCLEX candidate normalization
manual-seed

Related study cards

Shows the medication class, ATI cues, source references, and connected study cards for this drug.

12 study links
Med classmedication class
Antiepileptics

Calms abnormal neuronal firing so seizures are less likely to start or spread.

ATI cueNCLEX Priority Cue
Abdominal pain plus vomiting can signal pancreatitis.

ATI medication nclex priority cue concept.

ATI cueClass
Antiepileptic

ATI medication class concept.

ATI cueInteraction
Aspirin and highly protein-bound drugs can alter free valproate.

ATI medication interaction concept.

ATI cueNursing Assessment
Assess for abdominal pain, vomiting, unusual bleeding, or bruising.

ATI medication nursing assessment concept.

ATI cueMechanism of Action
ATI/source-folder candidate for Valproate / divalproex (Depakote); verify mechanism against the source table before validation.

ATI medication mechanism of action concept.

ATI cuePrecaution
Do not discontinue abruptly without provider guidance.

ATI medication precaution concept.

ATI cueInteraction
Enzyme-inducing antiepileptics can affect levels.

ATI medication interaction concept.

ATI cueAdverse Effect
Hepatotoxicity

ATI medication adverse effect concept.

ATI cueNCLEX Priority Cue
Jaundice or unusual bleeding changes this from routine therapy to priority review.

ATI medication nclex priority cue concept.

ATI cueClient Teaching
Keep lab appointments.

ATI medication client teaching concept.

ATI cueContraindication
Known urea cycle disorder

ATI medication contraindication concept.