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Effect of levetiracetam on cerebral oxygenation in neonates
Aslı Okbay Güneş, Nilgun Karadağ, Sevilay Topcuoğlu, Elif Özalkaya, Güner KaratekinDivision of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Health Sciences, Turkey. Istanbul Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children’s Diseases Health Training and Research Center, Istanbul, TurkeyINTRODUCTION: To assess the effect of levetiracetam on cerebral oxygenation in the newborn period, whether it was used as first-line or add-on treatment for neonatal seizures.
METHODS: A prospective, cross-sectional study was performed. Neonates who were treated with levetiracetam because seizures were suspected clinically were included in the study. The included neonates were clinically stable and preparing for discharge during the study period. Baseline regional cerebral oxygenation (rSO2-C) and cerebral fractional oxygen extraction (FTOE) were recorded one hour before levetiracetam administration; three additional measurements of rSO2-C and FTOE were recorded during levetiracetam administration, and one and two hours after administration.
RESULTS: Eighty-one doses of levetiracetam were administered to 22 neonates, and nine (40.9%) of the neonates were receiving phenobarbital together with levetiracetam. The median gestational age and birth weight of the neonates were 37.5 (25–41) weeks and 2755 (720–3740) g, respectively. The levetiracetam dose ranged from 10 mg/kg to 60 mg/kg, with a median value of 20 mg/kg. There were no significant changes in the measurements of rSO2-C and FTOE associated with levetiracetam doses.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The impact of levetiracetam on NIRS findings suggests that levetiracetam is safe in the neonatal period in terms of cerebral oxygen metabolism.
Manuscript Language: English
