Application of ketogenic diets for paediatric neurocritical care

A ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, adequate-protein diet. It can alter the primary cerebral energy metabolism from glucose to ketone bodies, which involves multiple mechanisms of antiepileptic action, antiepileptogenic properties, neuro-protection, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and it is potentially a disease-modifying intervention. Although a ketogenic diet is typically used for the chronic stage of pharmacoresistant of epilepsy, recent studies have shown its efficacy in patients with the acute stage of refractory/super-refractory status epilepticus.