Case-control study finds chronic benzodiazepine use increases second-line treatment need in early status epilepticus, indicating reduced treatment efficacy.
Key Points
To determine the impact of chronic benzodiazepine use on the efficacy of first-line treatment for early status epilepticus.
Retrospective case-control design conducted at a tertiary center from 2010 to 2023.
Matched chronic benzodiazepine users with nonusers based on age, sex, etiology, and semiology.
Excluded postanoxic and withdrawal-related episodes.
Analyzed the evolution of early status epilepticus to established status epilepticus.
Chronic benzodiazepine users required second-line treatment 85% of the time compared to 64% in nonusers (p = .022).
Patients with established status epilepticus stayed in the hospital longer (15 vs. 5 days, p < .001).
Chronic benzodiazepine use was confirmed as an independent risk factor for established status epilepticus (odds ratio = 3.34).
No correlations were found between chronic benzodiazepine modalities and SE refractory episodes.