Anticonvulsants

The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.

Pediatric Anticonvulsants Table

Drug Dose Infusion Rate (Minutes) Age Comments/Cautions
Levetiracetam
  • 60 mg/kg/dose IV/IO
  • MAX: 4500 mg/dose
≥5 Any Most commonly used agent
Fosphenytoin
  • 20 mg phenytoin equivalent (PE)/kg/dose IV/IO/IM
  • MAX: 1000 PE/dose
≥10 Any Choose alternate drug if on phenytoin at home; may decrease BP/HR; not for toxin-induced seizures
Valproic acid
  • 40 mg/kg/dose IV/IO
  • MAX: 3000 mg/dose
≥10 ≥2 years Caution in patients with liver dysfunction, mitochondrial disease, urea disorder, thrombocytopenia, or unexplained developmental delay
Phenytoin
  • 20 mg/kg/dose IV/IO
  • MAX: 1000 mg/dose
≥20 Any Choose alternate drug if on phenytoin at home; may decrease BP/HR; not for toxin-induced seizures
Phenobarbital
  • 20 mg/kg/dose IV/IO
  • MAX: 1000 mg/dose
≥20 <6 months First line for most neonatal seizures. Respiratory depression, especially in combination with benzodiazepines

See Also