The use of althesin in drug-resistent status epilepticus

The properties of Althesin (anticonvulsant activity, depression of oxygen consumption, lowering of ICP, rapid excretion) led us to use this steroid combination to treat 11 patients in status epilepticus resistant to the standard drugs (benzodiazepines and barbiturates). The administration of Althesin by slow intravenous injection was ineffective in 2 of the 3 patients thus treated. The doses used (2--10 ml) were probably too small. One only administration of a 10% solution of Althesin in 10% fructose by intravenous drip (the rate was calculated so as to obtain the burst suppression stage at the EEG) stopped status epilepticus in 7 of the 9 patients thus treated. In this group the doses used varied from 25 to 50 ml. The 2 patients in whom it was necessary to repeat Althesin administration and combine it with other drugs had both been operated on for severe brain injuries involving marked cerebral edema. In spite of the very small number of cases, the definitive arrest of status epilepticus obtained in 8 out of 11 patients first treated with other drugs is encouraging: Althesin probably may be regarded as an adjunct in the treatment of status epilepticus.