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Intravenous levetiracetam for treatment of neonatal seizures

Abhijeet Rakshasbhuvankar1, Shripada Rao, Rolland Kohan

  • 1Department of Neonatal Paediatrics, Princess Margaret Hospital for Children and King Edward Memorial Hospital for Women, Perth, Australia.

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
|May 14, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Intravenous levetiracetam effectively treated refractory seizures in neonates. Most infants experienced significant seizure reduction with no observed adverse effects, suggesting its potential as a safe and effective option.

Area of Science:

  • Neonatal neurology
  • Pharmacology
  • Pediatric epilepsy

Background:

  • Refractory seizures in neonates pose significant clinical challenges.
  • Limited treatment options exist for neonatal seizures unresponsive to conventional anticonvulsants.

Observation:

  • This case series evaluated eight neonates with refractory seizures.
  • Intravenous levetiracetam was administered after failure of two or more standard anticonvulsants.

Findings:

  • Six of eight neonates (75%) showed an excellent response, with seizure cessation or >=80% reduction.
  • One neonate had a partial response, and one showed no improvement.
  • No adverse effects were attributed to levetiracetam administration.

Implications:

  • Intravenous levetiracetam is a promising therapeutic option for refractory neonatal seizures.
  • Levetiracetam demonstrates a favorable safety profile in this neonatal population.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm efficacy and safety in larger cohorts.

Keywords:
AnticonvulsantsLevetiracetamNewbornSeizures

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