Abstracts

Rationale: Intravenous Levetiracetam was approved in United States in August 2006 for patients aged 16 years and above. We retrospectively analyzed data at our institution of children who received intravenous levetiracetam for acute seizure management since not much information is available from January 2007 to June 2014 Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all children less than 18 years who received intravenous Levetiracetam at Scott and White Hospital/ Texas A & M University College of Medicine, Temple, TX. Subject data were acquired from electronic medical records. Approval of this retrospective analysis was given by our hospital's institutional review board. Results: We retrospectively analyzed 80 patients who met our inclusion criteria for neonatal seizures, status epilepticus and acute repetitive seizures and received intravenous levetiracetam from January 2007 to June 2014. The loading dose of intravenous levetiracetam was 50mg/kg in most patients followed by a maintenance dose of 25 mg/kg every 12 hours. The variables analyzed included clinicaldata, electrographic documentation, indication of initiation of this medicine, adverse events and seizure control at 6month well child visits. Response to levetiracetam was favorable. 63 out of 80 patients reached seizure freedom within 24 hours and 14 within 48 to 72 hours. Seizures continued in one patient and two patients died because of continued seizure activity on three anticonvulsants. No serious side-effects were apparent. Patients were discharged on oral levetiracetam and did well at 6 month clinic visit.. Conclusions: Intravenous Levetiracetam seems to be efficacious in acute seizure management in neonates and children