Abstracts

Rationale: To establish the safety and tolerability of standard infusion of intravenous levetiracetam in children, along with post-infusion blood levels. Intravenous levetiracetam received FDA approval in 2006 for adjunctive treatment of partial onset seizures in adults with epilepsy, 16 years or older. The experience in younger children is very limited. Methods: This prospective study includes 30 children (6 months to <15 years of age) who are levetiracetam naive and require treatment with an anti-epileptic drug. Patients are administered a single dose of intravenous levetiracetam (50 mg/kg, maximal dose 2500 mg) over 15 minutes. Vital signs are monitored both prior to infusion, five and ten minutes into the infusion, at the end at the infusion and then at 15-minute intervals for a two-hour period following infusion of intravenous LEV. A blood level of levetiracetam is performed 10 minutes following the completion of the infusion. Results: Seventeen children with epilepsy have been treated to date. Their mean age was 9.1 (range 0.6-12.3) years. There were no significant complications. Two patients had a fever which was present pre-infusion. Two patients became somnolent while one complained of his head feeling weird. The mean levetiracetam blood level was 82.9 (range 56-118) microg/mL. One blood level was not available due to a laboratory accident. Conclusions: Preliminary results suggest that intravenous levetiracetam is safe and well-tolerated in children. Although the dose of 50 mg/kg resulted in a high post-infusion plasma level, this was well-tolerated by the patients and may be an appropriate initial loading dose.