Is Protofol the answer to control seizures?

Writing in the journal Neurology, researchers said the use of propofol is recommended before thiopental. Propofol and thiopental are widely used intravenous anesthetics which are also known to help control seizures.

Researchers in the Netherlands examined the effects of propofol and thiopental in 33 children with refractory status epilepticus -- a state in which seizures occur in rapid succession without recovery of consciousness between them.

Propofol effectively controlled seizures in 14 of 22 patients, with infrequent and minor side effects.
Twenty patients were treated with thiopental, including the eight in whom propofol was used first without success. Eleven were effectively treated and had seizure control, but serious side effects were noted.

"We suggest the use of propofol before thiopental in children with refractory status epilepticus," said study author Dr. J. P. J. van Gestel of the University Medical Center in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

A related editorial in the same issue of Neurology said the study underscores the need for a systematic, prospective study in children and adolescents with this disorder.