Lidocaine for treatment of severe seizures in newborn infants. I. Clinical effects and cerebral electrical activity monitoring.

The anticonvulsive effect of lidocaine was evaluated in 46 newborn infants with severe, recurrent seizures. Before the lidocaine all infants were being given phenobarbital, and 22 infants were also treated with diazepam. Different dosages of lidocaine were tested. A loading dose of 2 mg/kg followed by i.v. infusion of 6 mg/kg/hour was the most effective dosage and had an immediate anticonvulsive effect in 18 of 25 infants; within 30 min the same effect was attained in another five of the infants, with an overall seizure control in 92% of the sample population. During the lidocaine treatment cerebral electrical activity was followed continuously with a cerebral function monitor (CFM), which also enabled evaluation of the treatment. No serious side effects on blood-pressure, heart-rate or cerebral electrical activity were registered. For newborn infants with severe recurrent seizures not responding to other drugs, lidocaine is an effective additional mode of treatment.