Diazepam vs Lorazepam vs Placebo for Prehospital Treatment of Status Epilepticus
diazepam
+ lorazepam
Brain Diseases+10
+ Central Nervous System Diseases
+ Nervous System Diseases
Treatment Study
Summary
Study start date: November 1, 1995
Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.PROTOCOL OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double blind, multicenter study. Patients are stratified by center. Patients en route to the hospital in a San Francisco Department of Health Paramedic Division ambulance are randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups. Informed consent is waived due to impaired consciousness. Patients receive intravenous diazepam, lorazepam, or placebo during transport. The patient is re-treated if the seizure is sustained after the first dose or recurs after the first dose without the patient regaining consciousness. Upon arrival at the hospital, all patients receive the standard status epilepticus treatment in use at that site.
Protocol
This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.210 patients to be enrolled
Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.Treatment Study
Eligibility
Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.Any sex
Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.Over 18 Years
Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.Healthy volunteers not allowed
If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.Conditions
Pathology
Criteria
PROTOCOL ENTRY CRITERIA: --Disease Characteristics-- Status epilepticus with at least 5 minutes of sustained seizure activity with a depressed level of consciousness, or 2 or more discrete seizures without recovery or consciousness between seizures Verified by bystander or observed by paramedic from San Francisco Department of Health --Prior/Concurrent Therapy-- No chronic benzodiazepines for seizure disorder --Patient Characteristics-- Cardiovascular: Systolic blood pressure at least 100 mm Hg No second- or third- degree atrioventricular block No sustained ectopic tachyrhythmia Pulse rate between 60 and 150 No severe myocardial insufficiency No hypovolemic, cardiogenic, or obstructive shock Pulmonary: No history of asthma No history of chronic obstructive airway disease No history of limited pulmonary reserve Other: No allergy or prior sensitivity to benzodiazepines No distributive shock (e.g., septic, neurogenic, or anaphylactic)