• Mariana Gaviria-Carrillo, Laura Mora-Muñoz, Andres Felipe Diaz-Forero, Juliana Vargas-Osorio, Viviana Torres-Ballesteros, Jhonatan Estrada, Alberto Vélez Van Meerbeke, and Jesús Hernán Rodríguez.
• Neuroscience research group (NeURos), NeuroVitae Center for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogota, Colombia.
• Med Princ Pract. 2023 Jan 1; 32 (1): 909590-95.

BackgroundSeizures are common in palliative care patients and its control is essential in the management of these patients as it helps to reduce suffering at the end of life. Subcutaneous levetiracetam has been used off-license for seizure control in palliative care.ObjectiveThe objective of the study was to describe our experience with subcutaneous levetiracetam in two hospitals in Bogota, Colombia.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective review of patients treated with subcutaneous levetiracetam in two hospitals in Colombia during 2019-2021. Data were extracted from medical records, and participants were followed up as outpatients.ResultsTwenty-one patients were included into the study. No severe adverse effects or rise in ictal frequency were documented. Twelve patients died during hospitalization and nine continued treatments as outpatients. The principal diagnosis was structural focal epilepsy. The daily dose of levetiracetam ranged from 1,000 mg to 3,000 mg, and the duration of treatment varied among subjects between 1 and 360 days.ConclusionSubcutaneous levetiracetam was well tolerated and effective in controlling seizures in palliative care when oral administration or intravenous access was not an option. Randomized controlled trials are needed to elucidate the efficacy and tolerability of subcutaneous levetiracetam in clinical practice.© 2023 The Author(s). Published by S. Karger AG, Basel.

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