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Febrile seizure recurrence reduced by intermittent oral levetiracetam

Lin-Yan Hu1, Li-Ping Zou1, Jian-Min Zhong2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital Beijing, 100583, China ; Department of Pediatrics, Chinese PLA General Hospital Beijing, 100583, China.

Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology
|October 31, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Levetiracetam (LEV) effectively prevents febrile seizure (FS) recurrence in children. This treatment is also more cost-effective and has minimal side effects compared to standard care.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Pharmacology

Background:

  • Febrile seizures (FS) are the most common childhood seizure disorder and a frequent reason for pediatric emergency admissions.
  • Identifying effective and safe therapies to prevent FS recurrence is a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy and safety of intermittent oral levetiracetam (LEV) for preventing febrile seizure recurrence in children.
  • To assess the cost-effectiveness of LEV compared to a control group.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized controlled trial involving 115 children with a history of two or more FS.
  • Participants were assigned to receive either levetiracetam (LEV) or a control (2:1 ratio).
  • LEV was administered orally at 15-30 mg/kg/day for one week at fever onset, followed by a gradual taper.

Main Results:

  • The LEV group showed a significantly lower FS recurrence rate (11/78 children) compared to the control group (19/37 children).
  • LEV treatment was associated with a lower FS recurrence per fever episode.
  • The cost of preventing FS recurrence with LEV was lower than the control group.
  • The primary side effect observed was mild drowsiness in one patient.

Conclusions:

  • Intermittent oral levetiracetam is an effective strategy for preventing febrile seizure recurrence in children.
  • LEV therapy offers a cost-effective solution, reducing medical resource expenditure.
  • The treatment demonstrates a favorable safety profile with minimal adverse effects.
Abstract

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