One Center's Experience With Outpatient Initiation of Ketogenic Therapy in Infants 18 Months or Younger
These videos have been matched automatically. Contact us if they are not relevant.
These videos have been matched automatically. Contact us if they are not relevant.
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Outpatient initiation of ketogenic therapy is safe and effective for infants up to 18 months old with drug-resistant epilepsy. This approach successfully reduced seizures in most infants, with manageable side effects in an outpatient setting.
Area Of Science
- Pediatric Neurology
- Metabolic Therapies
- Epilepsy Management
Background
- Ketogenic therapy is a standard adjunctive treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy.
- Traditional initiation of ketogenic therapy requires hospitalization for patients.
- Infants aged 18 months and younger present unique challenges for epilepsy treatment.
Purpose Of The Study
- To evaluate the safety and efficacy of outpatient initiation of ketogenic therapy.
- To assess the feasibility of this approach in infants 18 months and younger.
- To compare outcomes with traditional inpatient initiation protocols.
Main Methods
- A retrospective chart review was conducted on 37 infants.
- Patients initiated ketogenic therapy between 2011 and 2022 were included.
- Data on seizure reduction and adverse effects were analyzed.
Main Results
- Ketogenic therapy reduced seizures by at least 50% in 62% of infants.
- Adverse effects, including constipation, vomiting, and acidosis, occurred in 86% of patients.
- All adverse effects were managed outpatient, with only 12% requiring hospitalization.
Conclusions
- Outpatient initiation of ketogenic therapy is a safe and effective strategy for infants up to 18 months.
- This approach demonstrates successful seizure control with manageable adverse events.
- The findings support a shift towards outpatient protocols for this patient population.
These videos have been matched automatically. Contact us if they are not relevant.
These videos have been matched automatically. Contact us if they are not relevant.
Related Concept Videos
In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses...
In pediatric medicine, understanding the renal function and drug elimination nuances is crucial for administering safe and effective treatments. Newborns, in particular, display markedly slower renal functions than adults, profoundly affecting how drugs are cleared from their bodies. This slower drug clearance requires clinicians to extend the dosing intervals for many medications to prevent drug accumulation and toxicity while ensuring therapeutic efficacy.One key area where these adjustments...
Understanding the physiological differences in the pediatric population is crucial for effective pharmacotherapy. Neonates, infants, and children exhibit significant variations in gastric pH, gastric emptying time, intestinal transit time, and biliary function. These variations profoundly affect oral drug absorption, necessitating a nuanced approach to pediatric dosing.Neonates present with a unique physiological profile, having a gastric pH greater than 4 and faster and more irregular gastric...
Pediatric patient dosages diverge from adults due to disparities in body surface area, total body water, and extracellular fluid per kilogram of body weight. The dosing regimen considers the variations in pharmacokinetics and pharmacology across distinct age groups, encompassing preterm newborns, infants, young children, older children, and adolescents. Calculation of pediatric patient doses is predicated on determining body surface area, which exhibits a superior correlation with the child's...
Drug distribution in the pediatric population exhibits unique challenges and considerations due to the physiological differences between children, particularly neonates and infants, and adults. A crucial aspect of pediatric pharmacology is understanding how these differences impact the pharmacokinetics of various drugs, necessitating age-specific dosing strategies to ensure efficacy and safety.Neonates and infants have a higher total body water content, ~75%–90% of their body weight,...
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is a protein metabolism disorder characterized by high blood levels of the amino acid phenylalanine. This results from a mutation in the gene responsible for phenylalanine hydroxylase, an enzyme that converts phenylalanine into tyrosine. When this enzyme is deficient, phenylalanine builds up in the blood, leading to symptoms such as vomiting, rashes, seizures, growth deficiency, and severe mental retardation. An early diagnosis and a diet restricting phenylalanine intake...