Category: News

Levetiracetam Associated With Less Monotherapy Failure in Infantile Seizures

Posted on by New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute in

“Levetiracetam (Keppra) offers greater efficacy than phenobarbital in preventing monotherapy failure in infants with nonsyndromic epilepsy, according to the findings of a multicenter prospective observational study published in JAMA Pediatrics.”1

Basically, what that means, is that Keppra is more effective in preventing seizures in young children with epilepsy. 

How do we know? Investigators evaluated a total of 155 infants with nonsyndromic epilepsy who were treated with levetiracetam (n=117) or phenobarbital (n=38) as initial monotherapy within 1 year of the first afebrile seizure. Infants were treated in 17 US pediatric epilepsy centers during a 3-year period (2012 to 2015). A 6-month freedom from monotherapy failure, as defined by seizure freedom within 3 months of treatment initiation and no additional prescribed antiepileptic medication, comprised the binary outcome.1

We have a new PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGIST, who specializes in treating children with epilepsy.  Please call us and ask to see Dr. Leyda Sanchez-Ortiz.

1.       https://www.neurologyadvisor.com/epilepsy/infantile-seizures-levetiracetam-monotherapy-efficacy/article/748039/

8th Annual Winter Gala

Posted on by New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute in

Please JOIN US for an amazing evening for an AWESOME CAUSE. The Goryeb Children’s Hospital Craniofacial Center in conjunction with Morristown Medical Center are hosting an evening to benefit infants and children born with facial or skull deformities. These amazing children put their lives in our hands every day; we are honored to care for them. Please come on Tuesday, March 20, 2018 and note CHILDREN ARE WELCOME!!

Click this link for more info on our 8th Annual Winter Gala –http://www.f4mmc.org/2018WinterGala

CSF presents “Hydrocephalus”

Posted on by New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute in

Dr. Mazzola giving a presentation

YouTube: https://youtu.be/xPdmRFf4QNg

Dr. Catherine Mazzola discusses what hydrocephalus is, how it is diagnosed and treated in children and how she and a team of fellow expert neurosurgeons were able to develop clinical guidelines for treatment of pediatric hydrocephalus at the first CSF Chapter lecture in Morristown, New Jersey. This lecture was jointly presented by Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation and the New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute. Thank you to all who were involved in putting this together!
For more information and educational materials, please visit our website: http://csfinfo.org

Safe Imaging Collaborative for Pediatric Patients

Posted on by New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute in ,

Institute for Quality & Patient Safety

The NJ Hospital Association (NJHA) Institute for Quality and Patient Safety, working with the N.J. Council of Children’s Hospitals, is kicking off a collaborative effort to reduce exposure to ionizing radiation for children by reducing the use of computed tomography (CT) scans in instances of head injuries. NJHA encourages all hospitals to join the collaborative.

All emergency department staff have been counseled to participate in the collaborative and to use other means of imaging in place of CT scans unless it is an absolute emergency situation.  Emergency department staff have also been counseled on ordering unnecessary CT scans on patients who are neurologically intact. In these situations, observation is the recommended treatment.

Dr. Mazzola and her staff at the New Jersey Pediatric Neuroscience Institute support the collaborative to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure in pediatric patients and have been actively involved with the education process.  Dr. Mazzola and the staff at NJPNI recommend avoiding any unnecessary ionizing radiation if possible.

For more information about radiation and kids: http://www.imagegently.org/