Although the differences between the two drugs were not statistically significant, the authors recommend lorazepam as the best prehospital treatment for patients in status epilepticus. However, they caution that lorazepam must be refrigerated, unlike diazepam. "A patient who is in status epilepticus needs to be treated as quickly as possible in order to prevent serious neurological damage," said Audrey S. Penn, M.D., acting director of NINDS. "This study demonstrates that there is a safe and early treatment for a serious condition."

Despite the positive outcome of the study, the authors note that between 41 and 57 percent of patients were still in status epilepticus at the time of arrival at the emergency department and were twice as likely to require intensive care as those patients whose seizures ended earlier. Because of this, they recommend conducting future research with higher doses of lorazepam and diazepam to find the optimal therapy for these patients.

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Contact: Margo Warren
301-496-5751
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
29-Aug-2001