Treating Neonates with Levetiracetam: A Survey among German University Hospitals

Abstract

In contrast to drugs established to treat neonatal seizures, levetiracetam shows little neurotoxicity in experimental animal models and has good safety records in adults and children. Here, we present results from a survey on the off-label use of levetiracetam in newborn infants among neonatologists and pediatric neurologists in German university hospitals.

Zusammenfassung

Levetiracetam zeigt im Vergleich zu anderen etablierten Antiepileptika eine geringe Neurotoxizität in Tierexperimenten und eine gute Verträglichkeit bei Erwachsenen und Kindern. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, einen Überblick über den off-label Einsatz von Levetiracetam im Neugeborenenalter an deutschen Universitätskliniken zu geben.

Key words

levetiracetam - neonatal seizures - epilepsy - antiepileptic drug

Schlüsselwörter

Levetiracetam - Neugeborenenkrampfanfälle - Epilepsie - Antiepileptikum

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