Role of Antiseizure Prophylaxis Following Head Injury

Abstract

The majority of studies do not support the use of the prophylactic anticonvulsants studied thus far for the prevention of late PTS. Routine seizure prophylaxis later than 1 week following head injury is, therefore, not recommended. If late PTS occur, patients should be managed in accordance with standard approaches to patients with new onset seizures. Phenytoin and carbamazepine have been shown to reduce the incidence of early PTS. Valproate may also have a comparable effect to phenytoin on reducing early PTS but may also be associated with a higher mortality. It is, therefore, an option to use phenytoin or carbamazepine to prevent the occurrence of seizures in high-risk patients during the first week following head injury.