USE OF INJECTABLE VALPROIC ACID IN STATUS EPILEPTICUS - A PILOT-STUDY

As predicted in previous studies where valproic acid (Depakine(R), VPA, sodium valproate) was administered as an oral or rectal loading dose, VPA administered via injection was shown to be effective in the immediate treatment of status epilepticus (SE). This rapid efficacy is obtained simply by direct initial injection of 15 mg/kg and maintained by a 5- to 6-hour infusion at a rate of 1 mg/kg/h starting 30 minutes after the end of the bolus. With these doses, which are very close to those used traditionally with oral formulations, SE disappeared in less than 20 minutes in 19 of 23 cases. The clinical improvement was accompanied by the disappearance of critical electroencephalographic activities. The absence of impairment of concentration, and of respiratory or cardiovascular problems, and the maintenance of biological parameters, rendered the management of treatment with this VPA injectable form particularly easy.