title: High-dose intravenous lorazepam for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus.
abstract: We treated nine refractory status epilepticus cases with high-dose intravenous lorazepam. We monitored the EEGs continuously, and lorazepam dosing was titrated to stop clinical and electrographic seizures. Lorazepam doses needed to terminate status epilepticus ranged from 0.3 to 9 mg/hr. Lorazepam did not cause hypotension. All patients survived. Outcome was complete recovery in two cases, moderate disability in four, and severe disability in three. These findings suggest high-dose intravenous lorazepam may be an effective alternative to pentobarbital for the treatment of severe status epilepticus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, New York 10021.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Labar
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Root
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D008140:Lorazepam