title: Recommendations for the clinical management of children with refractory epilepsy receiving the ketogenic diet.
abstract: The ketogenic diet, a non-drug treatment with proven effectiveness, has been the most commonly used therapy in the past decade for the management of refractory epilepsy in the pediatric population. Compared to adding a new drug to a pre-existing treatment, the ketogenic diet is highly effective and reduces the number of seizures by 50-90% in approximately 45-60% of children after six months of treatment. For this reason, the Argentine Society of Pediatric Neurology established the Ketogenic Diet Working Group. It is integrated by pediatric dietitians, pediatricians, pediatric neurologists and B.S. in Nutrition, who developed recommendations for the optimal management of patients receiving the classical ketogenic diet based on expert consensus and scientific publications in this field.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Especializados en Pediatría "Sor María Ludovica", La Plata, Buenos Aires, B1904CSI, Argentina. mjalberti@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: María J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alberti
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Ariela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Agustinho
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico "Dr Humberto J. Notti", Mendoza, 5519, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Argumedo
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Armeno
authors.affiliation: Fundación Hospital de Niños "Victor J. Vilela", Rosario, Santa Fe, S2002LPC, Argentina.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Blanco
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nacional Posadas, El Palomar, Buenos Aires, 1684, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouquet
authors.affiliation: Fundación Hospital de Niños "Victor J. Vilela", Rosario, Santa Fe, S2002LPC, Argentina.
authors.forename: Analía
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cabrera
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caraballo
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nacional Posadas, El Palomar, Buenos Aires, 1684, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caramuta
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Araceli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cresta
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad, Córdoba, 5014, Argentina.
authors.forename: Elizabeth S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: de Grandis
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. Orlando Alassia", Santa Fe, S3000CII, Argentina.
authors.forename: Martha G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: De Martini
authors.affiliation: Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Argentina.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Diez
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dlugoszewski
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Nidia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Escobal
authors.affiliation: Hospital Privado de Comunidad, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, B7602CBM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Hilario
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ferrero
authors.affiliation: Fundación Hospital de Niños "Victor J. Vilela", Rosario, Santa Fe, S2002LPC, Argentina.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galicchio
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1425EFD, Argentina.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Gambarini
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico "Dr Humberto J. Notti", Mendoza, 5519, Argentina.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gamboni
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nacional Posadas, El Palomar, Buenos Aires, 1684, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guisande
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico "Dr Humberto J. Notti", Mendoza, 5519, Argentina.
authors.forename: Amal
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Especializados en Pediatría "Sor María Ludovica", La Plata, Buenos Aires, B1904CSI, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matarrese
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Pediatría S.A.M.I.C. "Prof. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan", Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1245AAM, Argentina.
authors.forename: Graciela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mestre
authors.affiliation: Hospital Pediátrico "Dr Humberto J. Notti", Mendoza, 5519, Argentina.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. Orlando Alassia", Santa Fe, S3000CII, Argentina.
authors.forename: Viviana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ríos
authors.affiliation: Hospital Nacional Posadas, El Palomar, Buenos Aires, 1684, Argentina.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.affiliation: Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, C1181ACH, Argentina.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vaccarezza
authors.affiliation: Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Especializados en Pediatría "Sor María Ludovica", La Plata, Buenos Aires, B1904CSI, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rocío
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Viollaz
authors.affiliation: Hospital de Niños "Dr. Orlando Alassia", Santa Fe, S3000CII, Argentina.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Panico
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D055423:Diet, Ketogenic; D019468:Disease Management; D000069279:Drug Resistant Epilepsy / Q000178:diet therapy*; D006801:Humans; D012640:Seizures / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Ketogenic diet; Pediatrics; Refractory epilepsy