Levetiracetam (Keppra) efficacy and safety in the prevention of early-onset seizures following traumatic brain injuries in pediatric patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Approximately half a million emergency department visits for traumatic brain injury (TBI) by children and adolescents occur each year. One of the complications of TBI is early-onset seizure. Current guidelines recommend the use of phenytoin for prevention of seizures following a TBI; however, several drug interactions and adverse reactions are associated with its use. Despite studies demonstrating efficacy of levetiracetam in adult patients, the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam in children with TBI is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam for the prevention of early-onset seizures in pediatric patients following TBI. Methods: A retrospective evaluation was conducted, which included children, ages 0 to 17 years, admitted secondary to a nonpenetrating TBI and who received levetiracetam for seizure prophylaxis for up to 7 days. The primary outcome was the number of children who had a seizure within the first 7 days following a ...