Double-blind study of lorazepam and diazepam in status epilepticus

I. E. Leppik, A. T. Derivan, R. W. Homan, J. Walker, R. E. Ramsay and B. Patrick

Lorazepam was compared with diazepam for the treatment of status epilepticus in a double-blind, randomized trial. Seventy-eight patients with 81 episodes were enrolled. Patients received one or two doses of either 4 mg of lorazepam or 10 mg of diazepam intravenously. Seizures were controlled in 89% of the episodes treated with lorazepam and in 76% treated with diazepam. The times for onset of action of the medications did not differ significantly. Adverse effects occurred in 13% of the lorazepam-treated patients and in 12% of the diazepam-treated patients. Respiratory depression and arrest, the most frequent adverse effects, were treated symptomatically; no adverse sequelae were noted.

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