Efficacy and Safety of Levetiracetam Monotherapy on Children with Epilepsy
- VernacularTitle:左乙拉西坦单药治疗小儿癫癎的疗效和安全性
- Author:
zhi-sheng, LIU
;
ge-fei, WU
;
fang-lin, WANG
;
jia-sheng, HU
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
epilepsy;
monotherapy;
levetiracetam;
child
- From:Journal of Applied Clinical Pediatrics
2006;0(16):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of levetiracetam (LEV) monotherapy on children with epilepsy.Methods Forty-one children (26 cases were male,15 cases were female) with epilepsy aged 7 months to 13 years were treated with LEV as monotherapy.These patients were selected from Department of Neurology ,Wuhan Children′s Hospital, from Aug.2007 to Aug.2009.The starting do-sage of LEV was (13.6?4.7) mg?kg-1?d-1,twice daily,and its objective dosage was (25.7?7.5) mg?kg-1?d-1,twice daily.LEV monotherapy was investigated by a self-controlled and open-label research,and the follow-up period ranged from 6 months to 2 years.Results The effective rate was 68.3% (28 cases),with 39.0% (16 cases) achieving seizure freedom in LEV monotherapy of children with epilepsy.Thirteen patients (31.7%) had poor efficacy in reduction of seizures,7 patients (17.1%) discontinued LEV monotherapy due to either an inadequate seizure control or aggravated seizures.Fifteen patients (36.6%) had the therapy-related adverse events in LEV monotherapy,including gastrointestinal dysfunction (5 cases),irritability (5 cases),dizziness (2 cases) and somnolence (2 cases).The adverse effects appeared in 2-4 weeks of early LEV therapy and were spontaneously disappeared in 1 week to 1 month of continuing therapy.Conclusions The LEV monotherapy is effective and safe for the control of partial and generalized seizures in children with epilepsy.LEV appears to be a broad-spectrum,first-line anti-epileptic drug in treatment of children with epilepsy.
