ABSTRACT
Status epilepticus is more common among children than young adults.
Children might be less likely to die and might be resistant to
permanent neurologic due to status epilepticus, but significant
sequelae also have been demonstrated. Aggressive intervention and
rapid termination of seizures contribute significantly to better
prognosis and reduced mortality from status epilepticus . Initial
treatment of status epilepticus typically consists of either
diazepam or lorazepam, immediately followed by phenytoin or
phenobarbital. However, approximately 10% to 15% of status
epilepticus episodes are refractory to these conventional therapies
. Traditionally, refractory status epilepticus is treated with
barbiturate coma or general anesthetics , both of which require
invasive cardiorespiratory and hemodynamic monitoring and are
associated with significant complications. Midazolam is a water –
soluble benzodiazepine with a fast onset of action , a short
half-life and inactive metabolites that has been very effective in
terminating seizures refractory to diazepam,lorazepam,phenytion,and
phenobarbital in pepediatric patients . Midazolam is a valuable
treatment option for refractory status epilepticus, especially in
pediatric patients. (J Child Neurol 1998;13:581-587).
Journal of Child Neurology |
