Abstract
Background-Status epilepticus is a condition of prolonged/repetitive seizures that often occurs in the elderly. Treatment in the elderly can be complicated by serious side effects associated with traditional drugs. Objective-The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy/safety of intravenously administered LEV (IVLEV) as the treatment of choice for SE in the elderly. Methods-We enrolled nine elderly patients (five female/four male; median age 78 years) with SE. Two patients had a previous diagnosis of epilepsy; in the remaining seven, SE was symptomatic. SE was convulsive in five and non-convulsive in four. All the patients presented concomitant medical conditions (arrhythmias/respiratory distress/hepatic diseases). As the traditional therapy for SE was considered unsafe, IVLEV was used as first-line therapy (loading dose of 1500 mg/100 ml/15 min, mean maintenance daily dose of 2500 mg/24 h) administered during video-EEG monitoring. Results/conclusions-In all the patients but one, IVLEV was effective in the treatment of SE and determined either the disappearance of (7/8), or significant reduction in (1/8), epileptic activity; no patient relapsed in the subsequent 24 h. No adverse events or changes in the ECG/laboratory parameters were observed. These data suggest that IVLEV may be an effective/safe treatment for SE in the elderly.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 418-421 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Acta Neurologica Scandinavica |
| Volume | 121 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
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Keywords
- Elderly
- Intravenous Levetiracetam
- Status epilepticus
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Neurology
- Neurology
- Medicine(all)
Cite this
Intravenous Levetiracetam as first-line treatment of status epilepticus in the elderly. / Fattouch, J.; Di Bonaventura, C.; Casciato, S.; Bonini, F.; Petrucci, S.; Lapenta, L.; Manfredi, M.; Prencipe, M.; Giallonardo, A. T.
In: Acta Neurologica Scandinavica, Vol. 121, No. 6, 2010, p. 418-421.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Intravenous Levetiracetam as first-line treatment of status epilepticus in the elderly
AU - Fattouch, J.
AU - Di Bonaventura, C.
AU - Casciato, S.
AU - Bonini, F.
AU - Petrucci, S.
AU - Lapenta, L.
AU - Manfredi, M.
AU - Prencipe, M.
AU - Giallonardo, A. T.
PY - 2010
Y1 - 2010
N2 - Background-Status epilepticus is a condition of prolonged/repetitive seizures that often occurs in the elderly. Treatment in the elderly can be complicated by serious side effects associated with traditional drugs. Objective-The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy/safety of intravenously administered LEV (IVLEV) as the treatment of choice for SE in the elderly. Methods-We enrolled nine elderly patients (five female/four male; median age 78 years) with SE. Two patients had a previous diagnosis of epilepsy; in the remaining seven, SE was symptomatic. SE was convulsive in five and non-convulsive in four. All the patients presented concomitant medical conditions (arrhythmias/respiratory distress/hepatic diseases). As the traditional therapy for SE was considered unsafe, IVLEV was used as first-line therapy (loading dose of 1500 mg/100 ml/15 min, mean maintenance daily dose of 2500 mg/24 h) administered during video-EEG monitoring. Results/conclusions-In all the patients but one, IVLEV was effective in the treatment of SE and determined either the disappearance of (7/8), or significant reduction in (1/8), epileptic activity; no patient relapsed in the subsequent 24 h. No adverse events or changes in the ECG/laboratory parameters were observed. These data suggest that IVLEV may be an effective/safe treatment for SE in the elderly.
AB - Background-Status epilepticus is a condition of prolonged/repetitive seizures that often occurs in the elderly. Treatment in the elderly can be complicated by serious side effects associated with traditional drugs. Objective-The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the short-term efficacy/safety of intravenously administered LEV (IVLEV) as the treatment of choice for SE in the elderly. Methods-We enrolled nine elderly patients (five female/four male; median age 78 years) with SE. Two patients had a previous diagnosis of epilepsy; in the remaining seven, SE was symptomatic. SE was convulsive in five and non-convulsive in four. All the patients presented concomitant medical conditions (arrhythmias/respiratory distress/hepatic diseases). As the traditional therapy for SE was considered unsafe, IVLEV was used as first-line therapy (loading dose of 1500 mg/100 ml/15 min, mean maintenance daily dose of 2500 mg/24 h) administered during video-EEG monitoring. Results/conclusions-In all the patients but one, IVLEV was effective in the treatment of SE and determined either the disappearance of (7/8), or significant reduction in (1/8), epileptic activity; no patient relapsed in the subsequent 24 h. No adverse events or changes in the ECG/laboratory parameters were observed. These data suggest that IVLEV may be an effective/safe treatment for SE in the elderly.
KW - Elderly
KW - Intravenous Levetiracetam
KW - Status epilepticus
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952653328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77952653328&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01351.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2010.01351.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 20578996
AN - SCOPUS:77952653328
VL - 121
SP - 418
EP - 421
JO - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
JF - Acta Neurologica Scandinavica
SN - 0001-6314
IS - 6
ER -