title: Safety of non-therapeutic levetiracetam ingestions--a poison center based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Very limited data is available regarding the safety of levetiracetam in cases of unintentional or intentional ingestions.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of single agent ingestions of levetiracetam, excluding adverse drug reactions (ADRs), reported to 61 American poison control centers during 2000-2009 were identified. Demographics, dose, symptoms, and medical outcome were abstracted from each case record.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 222 cases of single agent levetiracetam ingestions were reported during the study period. Median age was 14.0 years (IQR: 2.0 years, 39.0 years) and 51.8% were female. In 207 of 222 cases (93.2%) medical outcome was known. No deaths were reported and only 1 (0.5%) case resulted in a major outcome and 3 (1.4%) cases resulted in moderate outcomes. Minor, minimal, or no effects were reported in 198 (89.2%) cases. In 27 (12.2%) cases, ingestion was intentional and in 192 (86.5%) unintentional. There were no major outcomes and only one case (1.4%) of moderate outcome in 74 children aged 6 years or less. All ingestions in these children were unintentional.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study with a limited number of cases, intentional and unintentional ingestions of levetiracetam were safe in the majority of cases.
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver, CO, USA. bodmerm@uhbs.ch
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bodmer
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Monte
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kokko
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000506:poisoning*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016208:Databases, Factual; D062787:Drug Overdose; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010889:Piracetam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000506:poisoning; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D010889:Piracetam