Phenobarbital convulsive status epilepticus

In a multicenter, randomized, double-blind comparison of diazepam (0.15 mg/kg followed by phenytoin 18 mg/kg), lorazepam (0.1 mg/kg), phenobarbital (15 mg/kg), and phenytoin (18 mg/kg) in 518 patients with generalized convulsive status epilepticus, lorazepam was more effective than phenytoin and at least as effective as phenobarbital or diazepam plus phenytoin (1). Drug-related adverse effects did not differ significantly among the treatments and included hypoventilation (up to 17%), hypotension (up to 59%), and cardiac rhythm disturbances (up to 9%). 

Malamiri RA, Ghaempanah M, Khosroshahi N, Nikkhah A, Bavarian B, Ashrafi MR. Efficacy and safety of intravenous sodium valproate versus phenobarbital in controlling convulsive status epilepticus and acute prolonged convulsive seizures in children a randomised trial. Eur J Paediatr Neurol September 2012 16(5) 536-41. 

Seizures are present in 30% of patients with star fruit intoxication [17], and most patients have convulsive [6, 8,10,11,13,14,17,18,19] or non-convulsive [16] status epilepticus. The mortality rate of patients with seizures occurring after star fruit intoxication (severe intoxication) is significantly higher than of patients without seizures [13, 17]. Phenytoin, midazolam, diazepam and phenobarbital seem to have little or no effect on the control of persistent seizures provoked by star fruit toxicity. However, significant clinical improvement of seizure was demonstrated in one patient after the use of profofol [20]. 

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