After a clinical trial on Midazolam for seizures, emergency use of the drug rises

For status epilepticus patients who experience seizures outside of the hospital, treatment administered on an ambulance is an important component of their overall care.

And, according to a new study, this care is improving thanks in part to increased knowledge around - and availability of - midazolam, a benzodiazepine.

"When people experience seizures we frequently call an ambulance, and they're treated with a benzodiazepine if they're still having a seizure when the ambulance arrives," says IHPI member, William Meurer, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine and member of the Michigan Center for Integrative Research in Critical Care. "There are a few type of benzodiazepines that can be used, one of which is midazolam."

Meurer is the senior author on a new study that investigated if previous research on midazolam's efficacy as a seizure treatment affected whether ambulances nationwide were choosing the drug over other benzodiazepines for seizure patients.