Levetiracetam-associated behavioral adverse events in neurocritical care patients

Status Epilepticus: An Update on Pharmacological Management

Status epilepticus (SE) is a neurological emergency that requires timely pharmacological therapy to cease seizure activity. The treatment approach varies based on the time and the treatment stage of SE. Benzodiazepines are considered the first-line therapy during the emergent treatment phase of SE. Antiseizure medicines such as phenytoin, valproic acid, and levetiracetam are recommended during the urgent treatment phase. These drugs appear to have a similar safety and efficacy profile, and individualized therapy should be chosen based on patient characteristics. Midazolam, propofol, pentobarbital, and ketamine are continuous intravenous infusions of anesthetic medications utilized in the refractory SE (RSE) period. The most efficacious pharmacotherapeutic treatments for RSE and superrefractory status epilepticus are not clearly defined.

Optimal Dosing of Levetiracetam for Seizure Prophylaxis in Critically Ill Patients: A Prospective Observational Study

OBJECTIVES

Critically ill patients eliminate levetiracetam (LEV) more rapidly than healthy controls, yet low doses are commonly used for seizure prophylaxis in the ICU setting. We compared the rates of achievement of target serum levels and new onset seizure (clinical and/or electrographic) among patients who received low (500 mg bid) versus high (750-1,000 mg bid) dose LEV.

DESIGN

Prospective, observational study.

SETTING

Tertiary care, academic center.

PATIENTS

We included patients who received prophylactic LEV following traumatic brain injury, intracerebral hemorrhage, spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage, or supratentorial neurosurgery between 2019 and 2021. Patients with a history of seizure, antiseizure medication use, or renal failure requiring dialysis were excluded.

INTERVENTIONS

None.

MEASUREMENTS

LEV levels were obtained at steady state. The impact of low-dose versus high-dose LEV on the primary outcome of target LEV levels (12-46 μg/mL), and the secondary outcome of clinical and/or electrographic seizure, were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusting for age, LEV loading dose, BMI, primary diagnosis and creatinine clearance (CrCl).

MAIN RESULTS

Of the 205 subjects included in analyses, n = 106 (52%) received LEV 500 mg bid (median 13 mg/kg/d), and n = 99 (48%) received LEV 750-1,000 mg bid (median 25 mg/kg/d). Overall, 111 of 205 patients (54%) achieved target levels: 48 (45%) from the low-dose group versus 63 (64%) from the high-dose group (odds ratio [OR] 2.1; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7; p = 0.009). In multivariable analyses, high-dose LEV predicted target levels (adjusted OR [aOR] 2.23; 95% CI, 1.16-4.27; p = 0.016), and was associated with lower seizure odds (aOR 0.32; 95% CI, 0.13-0.82; p = 0.018) after adjusting for age, loading dose, BMI, diagnosis, and CrCl.

CONCLUSIONS

Underdosing of LEV was common, with only 54% of patients achieving target serum levels. Higher doses (750-1,000 mg bid) were more than twice as likely to lead to optimal drug levels and reduced the odds of seizure by 68% compared with low-dose regimens (500 mg bid).