Journal of child neurology
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Clinical Trial
Rapid infusion of a loading dose of intravenous levetiracetam with minimal dilution: a safety study.
Intravenous antiepileptic drugs are required in patients needing urgent treatment or unable to take oral medication. The safety of intravenous levetiracetam has been established in prospective studies of adult epilepsy and healthy participants. The authors performed a prospective, single-center study to evaluate the safety of a rapid loading dose of intravenous levetiracetam. ⋯ There were no significant changes in blood pressure, no local infusion site reactions, and no electrocardiogram abnormalities. The authors concluded that high serum levels of parenteral levetiracetam can be achieved rapidly and safely, in a small infusion volume. This finding has important implications for the treatment of status epilepticus.
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The neurologic outcomes at school age in children who underwent neonatal extracorporeal membrane oxygenation for noncardiac indications in a single institution surviving till the age of 5 years was determined by standardized neurologic assessment. Of 42 newborns undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, 24 underwent neurologic assessment by a single neurologist at 5 years of age. In all, 12 (50%) had a normal neurologic outcome. ⋯ The number of peri-extracorporeal membrane oxygenation complications experienced by a child was associated with later epilepsy. Although invasive and implemented in critically ill infants, half of newborns undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation will have a normal neurologic outcome at school age. Preexisting factors, rather than factors related to the extracorporeal membrane oxygenation itself, appear to be greater determinants of later neurologic outcomes.
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Delirium in children has received little attention from researchers until very recently, despite being a frequently encountered clinical problem, particularly in the context of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). In this article, we report 3 cases of severe hyperactive delirium occurring in children with advanced HIV/AIDS in the context of probable underlying HIV encephalopathy and complex drug-drug interactions. We also present a hypothesis in relation to HIV-associated delirium as a potential neuropsychiatric manifestation of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in children commenced on highly active antiretroviral therapy.
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A 7-year-old female patient with a new diagnosis of ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency was treated for hyperammonemia with a standard protocol. Several days later, she developed ataxia, dysmetria, and dysarthria. ⋯ Classically described as a consequence of hyponatremia treatment, osmotic demyelination syndrome has rarely been associated with other entities. This case suggests a potentially serious complication of the standard therapy for hyperammonemia in patients with ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency.
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The goal of this review is to discuss the comorbidities reported in specific epilepsy syndromes to examine possible underlying causes or associations and to present data on current therapies for these conditions. Comorbid conditions including cognitive impairment, neuropsychiatric problems, and social difficulties are common in children with epilepsy, and often more disabling than the seizures themselves. ⋯ These comorbid conditions not only have a significant impact on the child but also are a source of increased stress and burden for families. Increased awareness and early diagnosis of these conditions may affect therapeutic intervention and long-term outcome as well as assist in better understanding of potential risk factors and biological mechanisms.