Abstracts

Rationale: Febrile seizures are the most common type of childhood seizures, affecting 2-5% of children. The age of onset is six months to five years. A complex febrile seizure has one or more of the following attributes: a focal seizure, occurring more than once during a febrile illness, or prolonged; lasting more than 10-15 minutes. The risks of medications outweigh the benefits of treatment in the case of recurrent or complex febrile seizures. However, complications occur with prolonged seizure activity and subsequent prolonged febrile seizures are probable after a prolonged initial febrile seizure. In addition, controversy exists whether prolonged febrile seizures cause mesial temporal sclerosis. With the advent of newer potentially safer antiepileptic medications, the benefits may outweigh the risks of treatment. Currently, there is no data in the literature with regards to treating such seizures with levetiracetam.Methods: Therefore, we present a case report on two children with prolonged febrile seizures treated with levetiracetam. Results: Both patients have been seizure free (3 and 5 months respectively) without any adverse effects reported to the medication. Long-term efficacy is yet to be determined and an update will be forthcoming. Conclusions: Levetiracetam may be effective in treating complex febrile seizures without many risks or adverse effects. Future studies will confirm the utility and safety of using levetiracetam in treating complex febrile seizures.