Biomaterial Database

[Treatment of status epilepticus with rectally administered diazepam]. 1990

M Devilat, and J C Demarta, and M P Masafierro, and B Valdés, and E Welch

Servicio de Pediatría y Unidad de Neurología Infantil, Hospital Militar.

Rectal administration of diazepam is a good alternative to intravenous acute treatment in severe epileptic crises, but there is scarce information about its usefulness in status epilepticus. Treatment with rectal diazepam, 0.6 to 0.8 mg x kg of body weight as a single drug, in 10 children with 13 episodes of status epilepticus, defined as epileptic crises lasting 30 or more minutes (ten of these were generalized tonic and clonic, two were unilateral tonic and clonic, and one was of the partial complex type) is described. Nine status epilepticus episodes subsided at an average 4.4 minutes after the drug was given; in 3 cases there were no favourable effects, and one case recurred after initial response. There were no significant complications, with the exception of slight respiratory depression in a patient with encephalitis. In spite of the small size of the sample, these results suggest that rectal diazepam is an effective alternative to intravenous drug administration in the management of status epilepticus whenever venous access is difficult.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D012008	Recurrence	The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission.	Recrudescence,Relapse,Recrudescences,Recurrences,Relapses
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003975	Diazepam	A benzodiazepine with anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, sedative, muscle relaxant, and amnesic properties and a long duration of action. Its actions are mediated by enhancement of GAMMA-AMINOBUTYRIC ACID activity.	7-Chloro-1,3-dihydro-1-methyl-5-phenyl-2H-1,4-benzodiazepin-2-one,Apaurin,Diazemuls,Faustan,Relanium,Seduxen,Sibazon,Stesolid,Valium
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000285	Administration, Rectal	The insertion of drugs into the rectum, usually for confused or incompetent patients, like children, infants, and the very old or comatose.	Anal Drug Administration,Drug Administration, Rectal,Instillation, Rectal,Rectal Drug Administration,Drug Administration, Anal,Rectal Administration,Administration, Anal Drug,Administration, Rectal Drug,Administrations, Anal Drug,Administrations, Rectal,Administrations, Rectal Drug,Anal Drug Administrations,Drug Administrations, Anal,Drug Administrations, Rectal,Instillations, Rectal,Rectal Administrations,Rectal Drug Administrations,Rectal Instillation,Rectal Instillations
D013226	Status Epilepticus	A prolonged seizure or seizures repeated frequently enough to prevent recovery between episodes occurring over a period of 20-30 minutes. The most common subtype is generalized tonic-clonic status epilepticus, a potentially fatal condition associated with neuronal injury and respiratory and metabolic dysfunction. Nonconvulsive forms include petit mal status and complex partial status, which may manifest as behavioral disturbances. Simple partial status epilepticus consists of persistent motor, sensory, or autonomic seizures that do not impair cognition (see also EPILEPSIA PARTIALIS CONTINUA). Subclinical status epilepticus generally refers to seizures occurring in an unresponsive or comatose individual in the absence of overt signs of seizure activity. (From N Engl J Med 1998 Apr 2;338(14):970-6; Neurologia 1997 Dec;12 Suppl 6:25-30)	Absence Status,Complex Partial Status Epilepticus,Generalized Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Non-Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Petit Mal Status,Simple Partial Status Epilepticus,Grand Mal Status Epilepticus,Status Epilepticus, Complex Partial,Status Epilepticus, Electrographic,Status Epilepticus, Generalized,Status Epilepticus, Generalized Convulsive,Status Epilepticus, Grand Mal,Status Epilepticus, Non-Convulsive,Status Epilepticus, Simple Partial,Status Epilepticus, Subclinical,Electrographic Status Epilepticus,Generalized Status Epilepticus,Non Convulsive Status Epilepticus,Status Epilepticus, Non Convulsive,Status, Absence,Status, Petit Mal,Subclinical Status Epilepticus