Abstracts

Rationale: Children with intractable epilepsy have frequent hospital admissions because of status epilepticus and acute repetitive seizures. Seizures are also seen in the neonatal period and are a major outcome of future adverse neurological sequelae. Intravenous Levetiracetam became available in August 2006 in patients aged 16 years and above. There is not enough data about safety and tolerability in children. We retrospectively analyzed data at our institution of children who received intravenous levetiracetam for acute seizure management.Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all preterm neonates, term neonates and children less than 18 years who received intravenous levetiracetam at Scott and White Hospital/ Texas A & M HSC College of Medicine, Temple, TX. Subject data were acquired from electronic medical records. Approval of this retrospective analysis was given by our hospital ' s institutional review board.Results: We retrospectively analyzed 66 patients who met our inclusion criteria for neonatal seizures, status epilepticus and acute repetitive seizures and received intravenous levetiracetam. There were 31( 46.96%) males and 35 (53.03%)females. The loading dose of intravenous levetiracetam was 50 mg/ kg in most patients followed by a maintenance dose of 25 mg/kg every 12 hours. The dose was infused over 15 minutes to an hour. The primary objective was to assess response based on clinical and electro graphic documentation. The secondary objective was to assess the indication of initiation of this medicine, adverse events and seizure control at well child visits. Response to levetiracetam was favorable. 56 (84.84%)out of 66 patients reached seizure freedom within 24 hours and 10 (15.15%) within 48 to 72 hours. No serious side-effects were apparent. Patients were switched to oral levetiracetam after discharge from the hospital of which 36 (54.54 %) were discharged on monotherapy. The duration of follow up ranged from 6 months to 5 years. Conclusions: Intravenous Levetiracetam seems to be efficacious in acute seizure management in children