PMID- 30487494
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20190118
LR  - 20190118
IS  - 2408-8757 (Electronic)
IS  - 1022-4742 (Linking)
VI  - 27
IP  - 4
DP  - 2018 Oct
TI  - A Randomized Controlled Trial of Phenobarbital and Levetiracetam in Childhood 
      Epilepsy.
PG  - 776-784
AB  - Levetiracetam has been introduced for the control of seizures besides 
      phenobarbital as monotherapy in children with epilepsy. This study was aimed to 
      compare the effectiveness of these two drugs for the control of seizures in 
      epilepsy. This randomized controlled trial was done to assess the efficacy and 
      tolerability of levetiracetam compared to phenobarbital in childhood epilepsy and 
      was conducted in Institute of Pediatric Neurodisorder and Autism (IPNA), 
      Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh among 
      children between 1 month to 15 years who were diagnosed as cases of epilepsy 
      (idiopathic focal, generalized, focal with secondary generalization) according to 
      ILAE to assess the effect of Levetiracetam (n=50) and Phenobarbital (n=68) from 
      May 2015 to July 2016. The children were followed up for 12 months at 3 months 
      interval to compare the seizure remission and side effects of Levetiracetam and 
      Phenobarbital. The children in levetiracetam group was about 10 months older 
      along with older age of onset of seizure (p=0.02) than those of phenobarbital 
      group (p=0.03 and 0.02 respectively). GTCS was the most common type of seizure in 
      both groups. During 3 months of intervention 55.8% patients of levetiracetam 
      group achieved 50-75% seizure remission compared to 44.2% in phenobarbital group, 
      at 6 months period 75-100% seizure remission observed among 57.4% patients of 
      levetiracetam group compared to 42.6% of phenobarbital group (p=0.06), which 
      continued to increase at 9 months in levetiracetam (n=33, 55.9%) compared to 
      phenobarbital (n=26, 44.1%) and this value is statistically significant (p=0.05). 
      No further improvement observed at 12 months follow up. Behavioral problem was 
      reported among 4 patients of phenobarbital group without any evidence of 
      cognitive deterioration, only 3 patients of levetiracetam experienced 
      irritability, but no children of both group discontinued treatment due to side 
      effects. Levetiracetam mono-therapy is more effective in controlling seizures in 
      focal, generalized and focal with secondary generalization epilepsy compared to 
      phenobarbital with minimum side effects.
FAU - Akter, N
AU  - Akter N
AD  - Dr Naznin Akter, Assistant professor, Department of Pediatrics, Dhaka Medical 
      College, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
FAU - Rahman, M M
AU  - Rahman MM
FAU - Akhter, S
AU  - Akhter S
FAU - Fatema, K
AU  - Fatema K
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Randomized Controlled Trial
PL  - Bangladesh
TA  - Mymensingh Med J
JT  - Mymensingh medical journal : MMJ
JID - 9601799
RN  - 0 (Anticonvulsants)
RN  - 44YRR34555 (Levetiracetam)
RN  - YQE403BP4D (Phenobarbital)
SB  - IM
MH  - Adolescent
MH  - Anticonvulsants/administration & dosage/adverse effects
MH  - Bangladesh
MH  - Child
MH  - Child, Preschool
MH  - Cognition/drug effects
MH  - Drug Monitoring
MH  - Epilepsy, Generalized/diagnosis/*drug therapy
MH  - Female
MH  - Humans
MH  - Infant
MH  - *Levetiracetam/administration & dosage/adverse effects
MH  - Male
MH  - *Phenobarbital/administration & dosage/adverse effects
MH  - Problem Behavior
MH  - *Seizures/drug therapy/etiology
MH  - Treatment Outcome
EDAT- 2018/11/30 06:00
MHDA- 2019/01/19 06:00
CRDT- 2018/11/30 06:00
PHST- 2018/11/30 06:00 [entrez]
PHST- 2018/11/30 06:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2019/01/19 06:00 [medline]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Mymensingh Med J. 2018 Oct;27(4):776-784.