2004 Volume 36 Issue 6 Pages 451-454
We retrospectively studied the efficacy of intravenous and intravenous-drip infusion administration of lidocaine on seizures treated in Saitama Children's Medical Center during the period of 1997-2002. Thirty eight seizures of 29 children (12 boys and 17 girls, average age 41.4 months) were treated with lidocaine. The overall rate of effectiveness was 53%. The response to lidocaine appeared within 5 minutes in all episodes. Good response to lidocaine was noted, in 36% of patients with epilepsy, in 72% with CNS infection and in 80% with benign infantile convulsions; in 42% with generalized seizures and in 63% with partial seizures. Thus there was no significant difference in efficacy among the underlying disorders and seizure types. The adverse reaction of SpO, decreasewas found in one patient. We conclude that lidocaine can be used as a second-line, anti-convulsive drug in status epilepticus based on its prompt effectiveness and low risk of side effects.
