The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Acute Care Setting for Intravenous Levetiracetam (Focale) in Children

Siriporn Tiamkao; Preechaya Ruangritkul; Nanthaphan Chainirun; Tarnthip Hutthawanichakornkul; Issara Bungtong; Pinjutha Thongjankaew; Sineenard Mungmanitmongkol; Somsak Tiamkao; Narong Auvichayapat; Kittisak Sawanyawisuth; on Behalf of Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University

doi:10.1055/s-0043-1774744

International Journal of Epilepsy, Table of Contents

CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · International Journal of Epilepsy 2022; 08(02): 058-068
DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1774744

Original Article

The Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Acute Care Setting for Intravenous Levetiracetam (Focale) in Children

Siriporn Tiamkao

¹Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

²Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Preechaya Ruangritkul

³Department of Pharmacy Service, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Nanthaphan Chainirun

²Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

³Department of Pharmacy Service, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Tarnthip Hutthawanichakornkul

³Department of Pharmacy Service, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Issara Bungtong

³Department of Pharmacy Service, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Pinjutha Thongjankaew

³Department of Pharmacy Service, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Sineenard Mungmanitmongkol

²Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

⁴Division of Nursing, Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Somsak Tiamkao

²Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

⁵Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Narong Auvichayapat

²Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

⁶Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

Kittisak Sawanyawisuth

⁷Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand

,

on Behalf of Integrated Epilepsy Research Group, Khon Kaen University

› Author Affiliations

Abstract

Background Status epilepticus (SE) is a serious neurological emergency with a high mortality rate. Although levetiracetam is an effective antiepileptic drug for managing SE, its excessive cost may limit its accessibility. Focale, a more affordable generic version, is currently available and is more than 50% less expensive than the original version. However, there is currently no study on the efficacy and safety of Focale in pediatric patients with SE.

Objective This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the antiepileptic drug, Focale, in pediatric patients.

Materials and Methods This was a retrospective study that examined 131 pediatric patients younger than 18 years, who were treated with Focale for seizure control and prevention between June 2019 and November 2022.

Results A total of 131 patients were included in the study, of which 73 (55.7%) were male. The age group with the highest frequency was 0 to 3 years old (28.2%). Focale was used with the following indications: (1) SE (45.04%), (2) acute repetitive convulsive seizures (22.14%), (3) primary prophylaxis (26.72%), (4) acute first seizure (1.52%), and (5) patients with epilepsy with nothing per oral (4.58%). Regarding the outcomes, the seizure-controlled rate in the seizure group was 81.1%, while the seizure prevention rate was 92.7% for those who received Focale as a seizure prophylaxis. Only 2 out of 131 patients had experienced adverse effects (1.5%).

Conclusion The generic intravenous levetiracetam treatment had high seizure-controlled rate in patients with seizure attacks and seizure prevention rate in the seizure prophylaxis group in pediatric patients. Side effects of this regimen in pediatric patients were low.

Keywords

Focale - levetiracetam - children - efficacy - safety

Full Text

References

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material