NEONATAL SEIZURES – LEVETIRACETAM VERSUS PHENOBARBITAL

Intravenous levetiracetam versus phenobarbital in children with status epilepticus or acute repetitive seizures

PURPOSE This study compared the efficacy and tolerability of intravenous (i.v.) phenobarbital (PHB) and i.v. levetiracetam (LEV) in children with status epilepticus (SE) or acute repetitive seizure (ARS). METHODS The medical records of children (age range, 1 month to 15 years) treated with i.v. PHB or LEV for SE or ARS at our single tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. Seizure termi...

Efficacy of phenobarbital in neonatal seizures.

A retrospective study of neonatal seizures in a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit determined a 3.2% incidence, and confirmed the relatively poor efficacy of the traditional anticonvulsants phenobarbital and phenytoin. Only 33% responded to an initial adequate loading dose of phenobarbital, while 56% responded to either or both anticonvulsants. Although multifocal clonic seizures were m...

Levetiracetam in the treatment of neonatal seizures: A pilot study

PURPOSE At present, neonatal seizures are usually treated with Phenobarbital (PB) despite the limited efficacy and the potential risk this treatment holds for the developing brain. We report here a prospective pilot feasibility study on the use of Levetiracetam as monotherapy in the treatment of neonatal seizures. METHODS Six newborns (body weight>2000 g, gestational age>30 weeks) presenting ...

Phenobarbital for Neonatal Seizures: A Time for Perusal.

Levetiracetam in Neonatal Seizures as First-line Treatment: A Prospective Study

AIM OF THE STUDY The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) as first-line treatment of neonatal seizures. MATERIALS AND METHODS This study was conducted in patients of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Santo Bambino Hospital, University of Catania, Italy, from January to August 2016. A total of 16 neonates with convulsions not associated with major syndr...