HIGH-DOSE INTRAVENOUS LORAZEPAM FOR THE TREATMENT OF REFRACTORY STATUS EPILEPTICUS

We treated nine refractory status epilepticus cases with high-dose int ravenous lorazepam. We monitored the EEGs continuously, and lorazepam dosing was titrated to stop clinical and electrographic seizures. Lora zepam doses needed to terminate status epilepticus ranged from 0.3 to 9 mg/hr. Lorazepam did not cause hypotension. All patients survived. O utcome was complete recovery in two cases, moderate disability in four , and severe disability in three. These findings suggest high-dose int ravenous lorazepam may be an effective alternative to pentobarbital fo r the treatment of severe status epilepticus.