Results in on second-line meds for paediatric status epilepticus

Australian and UK research tally in finding two drugs are equally effective
Clare Pain
Emergency department

Two studies carried out in hospital EDs show that phenytoin and levetiracetam are equally effective as second-line therapy for convulsive status epilepticus in children.

The results provide the first randomised-controlled trial evidence to help decide between the two drugs when first-line therapy with benzodiazepines fails.

In the ConSEPT trial, 114 children presenting to 13 emergency departments in Australia and New Zealand were randomised to phenytoin (20mg/kg infusion over 20 minutes), and 119 were allocated to levetiracetam (40mg/kg infusion over five minutes).

The drugs were given at least 10 minutes after two attempts at first-line therapy had failed, reported the researchers who were led by Professor Franz Babl, group leader of emergency research at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne.