Work

Intravenous brivaracetam for the management of refractory focal non-convulsive status epilepticus

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: Diagnosis and management of status epilepticus (SE), including non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), is challenging, with a reported 30%-50% of epilepticus patients not responding to available antiseizure medications (ASMs). Injectable benzodiazepines, fosphenytoin, valproate, levetiracetam, lacosamide and phenobarbital are commonly used for treating SE. Brivaracetam, a new ASM, with higher affinity and greater selectivity for the synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A than levetiracetam, has been approved as monotherapy or adjunct for treatment of focal onset seizures. Brivaracetam may have a role in the management of SE. However, limited data exist on brivaracetam's efficacy in SE. We describe a patient case with focal NCSE refractory to levetiracetam, fosphenytoin, lacosamide and valproate who demonstrated clinical and electrographic improvement on continuous electroencephalography monitoring after brivaracetam administration.

Source: BMJ Case Reports

DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2020-234955

Authors: Abdalla A Ammar, Mahmoud A Ammar, Kent Owusu, Emily J Gilmore

Institutions: Yale New Haven Health System, Yale University

Language: English

Topic: Epilepsy research and treatment

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences