IV levetiracetam in the management of non-convulsive status epilepticus

Abstract

Status epilepticus (SE) is a medical emergency requiring prompt treatment to try to limit mortality and improve outcome. So far, newer antiepileptic drugs (AED) have not assumed a noticeable role in the treatment of SE. This may be in part due to the lack of IV forms for the newer AEDs. The IV form of Levetiracetam (IV-LEV) has recently become available and has a potential role in the treatment of SE. We report two cases of non-convulsive SE that responded favorably to IV-LEV. The first patient is an 83-year-old male with a history of complex partial seizure disorder who presented with impaired consciousness. The second patient is an 82-year-old male with history of old left middle cerebral artery ischemic infarction, who presented with confusion. Both patients were found to have a non-convulsive status epilepticus on electroencephalography (EEG) and treated with IV-LEV. In both cases, electrographic SE stopped with marked clinical improvement. Both patients tolerated the medication well and no significant side effects occurred. IV-LEV may have a potential role in the treatment of non-convulsive status epileptics.