The Comparison between Effect of Chloralhydrate and Diphenhydramine on Sedating for Electroencephalography

Electroencephalography (EEG) is the most effective diagnostic tool in distinguishing epileptic seizure. Chloral hydrate (CH) is a sedative hypnotic drug, commonly used as a method of sedation in children aged<3 yr. Furthermore, diphenhydramine (DH) is a first generation antihistaminic drug (H1 receptor blocker) with anti-cholinergic effect. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of CH and DH on sedating for EEG.

This retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients' records of aged 15-72 months undergone an EEG and required sedation. Overall, 200 children were assessed including 100 patients in group 1 (CH) and 100 patients in group 2 (DH). Data were gathered by a form including age, sex, the cause of EEG, complication, success rate, first dose success, as well as sleep and awake latency. Data were reported by descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, number, and percent) and analyzed by t-test and chi-square using SPSS 19.

Totally, 113(56%) male patients with the mean age of 35.62±14.00 months participated in this study. Vomiting and agitation were the most frequent complications in CH and DH groups, respectively. Most of patients in both group indicated successful sedation. CH indicated higher rate of success by first dose toward DH. In addition, CH mentioned lower sleep latency and significant difference was noted between groups. The mean duration of awake latency was higher in DH groups which showed significant difference.

CH might be a more effective drug in comparison with the DH for sedation. According to the availability and low cost of DH, investigators are advised to perform further investigations.