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Anticonvulsant medications in the pediatric emergency room and intensive care unit

Nicholas S Abend1, Jimmy W Huh, Mark A Helfaer

  • 1Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. abend@email.chop.edu

Pediatric Emergency Care
|February 26, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Rapid treatment of pediatric seizures is crucial. This review covers new anticonvulsants like levetiracetam and topiramate, updating status epilepticus treatment algorithms for complex patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Seizures are a frequent reason for pediatric emergency care.
  • Prompt treatment of prolonged seizures or status epilepticus is critical.
  • Various anticonvulsant medications exist, each with specific uses and side effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current data on anticonvulsants for pediatric seizures.
  • To propose an updated status epilepticus treatment algorithm.
  • To address treatment considerations for medically complex pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent anticonvulsant data.
  • Analysis of established and novel treatment strategies.
  • Discussion of patient-specific factors in treatment selection.

Main Results:

  • New anticonvulsant data supports updated treatment options.
  • Fosphenytoin, valproic acid, levetiracetam, and topiramate are discussed.
  • An updated status epilepticus algorithm is proposed.

Conclusions:

  • Updated evidence informs pediatric seizure management.
  • The proposed algorithm integrates new anticonvulsants.
  • Specialized considerations are vital for complex pediatric cases.

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