A computerized standard protocol order entry for pediatric inpatient acute seizure emergencies reduces time to...

Area of Science:

• Clinical Neurology
• Quality Improvement in Healthcare
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Timely administration of antiepileptic drugs is crucial for effective seizure management.
• Inpatient seizure emergencies often face delays in receiving appropriate treatment.
• Standardized protocols can streamline emergency medical interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a computerized, standard treatment protocol on the time to treatment for inpatient seizure emergencies.
• To compare treatment times for first- and second-line antiepileptic drugs before and after protocol implementation.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement initiative was conducted, analyzing data from 125 patients experiencing seizure episodes.
• Time to treatment with first- and second-line antiepileptic drugs was measured before and after implementing a computerized protocol.
• Statistical analysis was used to determine the significance of changes in treatment times.

Main Results:

• Before the protocol, mean treatment time for first-line drugs was 7.72 minutes; for second-line drugs, it was 49.48 minutes.
• After protocol implementation, mean treatment time for first-line drugs decreased to 3.74 minutes (>50% reduction, P < .0001).
• Mean treatment time for second-line drugs decreased to 25.05 minutes (∼50% reduction, P < .0001).

Conclusions:

• A computerized, standard treatment protocol significantly reduced time to treatment for inpatient seizure emergencies.
• The protocol demonstrated effectiveness in accelerating the delivery of both first- and second-line antiepileptic medications.
• This model offers a transferable strategy for improving seizure emergency response in similar healthcare settings.