Intravenous ketamine for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus: a retrospective multicenter study.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

To examine patterns of use, efficacy, and safety of intravenous ketamine for the treatment of refractory status epilepticus (RSE).

Methods

Multicenter retrospective review of medical records and electroencephalography (EEG) reports in 10 academic medical centers in North America and Europe, including 58 subjects, representing 60 episodes of RSE that were identified between 1999 and 2012. Seven episodes occurred after anoxic brain injury.

Key findings

Permanent control of RSE was achieved in 57% (34 of 60) of episodes. Ketamine was felt to have contributed to permanent control ("possible" or "likely" responses) in 32% (19 of 60) including seven (12%) in which ketamine was the last drug added (likely responses). Four of the seven likely responses, but none of th

SUBMITTER: Gaspard N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3731413 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature