Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2005 Sep;33(3):166-72.
doi: 10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2005.03.005.

Rectal diazepam gel in the home management of seizures in children

Christine O'Dell  1 , Shlomo Shinnar, Karen R Ballaban-Gil, Matthew Hornick, Maryana Sigalova, Harriet Kang, Solomon L Moshé
Affiliations

Rectal diazepam gel in the home management of seizures in children

Christine O'Dell et al. Pediatr Neurol. 2005 Sep.

Abstract

This study assessed the utility of rectal diazepam gel in the home management of prolonged or repetitive seizures in children. Thirty-eight children being prescribed rectal diazepam gel by their clinician were prospectively recruited. Seizures, rectal diazepam use, emergency department visits, and quality of life data before and after study entry were recorded. The 38 children included 14 (37%) with complex febrile seizures, and 24 with epilepsy (n = 22) or a single seizure (n = 2). There were 23 (61%) children with prolonged seizures and 15 (39%) with repetitive seizures. During the 6-month follow-up period, 12 children experienced 26 seizures which met the criteria for rectal diazepam administration. Rectal diazepam gel was administered to 8 children on 19 occasions. In 16 (84%) of these episodes, seizures stopped and no emergency department visit was required. Parental stress was decreased between baseline and 6 months in both the overall group and in all the subgroups. Home use of rectal diazepam gel is effective in aborting seizure activity, often avoiding an emergency department visit. Its use reduces morbidity and costs associated with hospital visits and provides parents a treatment option for home management of prolonged or repetitive seizures.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types