A 56-year-old man with epilepsy - 10 Point
Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 in Emergency Care, Neurology



A 56-year-old man with epilepsy is brought into the emergency room. He has been having continuous generalized tonic-clonic seizures for the past 30 min. He is treated with 2 mg of intravenous lorazepam.
Most physicians recommend using a high dose of intravenous benzodiazepine as part of the management of status epilepticus because of its:

a. Ability to suppress seizure activity for more than 24 h after one injection
b. Lack of respiratory depressant action
c. Rapid onset of action after intravenous administration
d. Lack of hypotensive effects
e. Lack of dependence on hepatic function for its metabolism and clearance


The patient’s seizing does not stop. A second intravenous drug is given.
Infusing which of the following antiepileptic drugs at more than 50 mg/min in an adult may evoke a cardiac arrhythmia?

a. Carbamazepine
b. Diazepam
c. Phenobarbital
d. Clonazepam
e. Phenytoin