title: High-dose intravenous levetiracetam for acute seizure exacerbation in children with intractable epilepsy.
abstract: We review our experience with high-dose intravenous levetiracetam (IV-LEV) for acute seizure exacerbations in nine children with medically intractable epilepsy. All children had acute repetitive seizures-while on chronic antiepileptic drugs-that either led to hospitalization (eight) or occurred during hospitalization (one), and received doses of IV-LEV of 150 mg/kg/day or greater, with a mean dose of 228 +/- 48 mg/kg/day. Eight of nine children had resolution of the acute repetitive seizures. Seizure frequency was reduced to less than baseline in seven children (seizure-free in two, >/=80% reduction in four, and 50% reduction in one). Except for one child with increased seizures, IV-LEV was well tolerated in all children without complications.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors.forename: Dewi T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Depositario-Cabacar
authors.forename: Jurriaan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Amanda W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Pong
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roth
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rotenberg
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Riviello
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeoka
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D010889:Piracetam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D012640:Seizures / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam