Buccal Midazolam Compared With Rectal Diazepam Reduces Seizure Duration in Children in the Outpatient Setting

Japanese guidelines for treatment of pediatric status epilepticus - 2023

The updated definition of status epilepticus (SE) by the International League Against Epilepsy in 2015 included two critical time points (t1: at which the seizure should be regarded as an "abnormally prolonged seizure"; and t2: beyond which the ongoing seizure activity can pose risk of long-term consequences) to aid in diagnosis and management and highlights the importance of early treatment of SE more clearly than ever before. Although Japan has witnessed an increasing number of pre-hospital drug treatment as well as first- and second-line treatments, clinical issues have emerged regarding which drugs are appropriate. To address these clinical concerns, a revised version of the "Japanese Guidelines for the Treatment of Pediatric Status Epilepticus 2023" (GL2023) was published. For pre-hospital treatment, buccal midazolam is recommended. For in-hospital treatment, if an intravenous route is unobtainable, buccal midazolam is also recommended. If an intravenous route can be obtained, intravenous benzodiazepines such as midazolam, lorazepam, and diazepam are recommended. However, the rates of seizure cessation were reported to be the same among the three drugs, but respiratory depression was less frequent with lorazepam than with diazepam. For established SE, phenytoin/fosphenytoin and phenobarbital can be used for pediatric SE, and levetiracetam can be used in only adults in Japan. Coma therapy is recommended for refractory SE, with no recommended treatment for super-refractory SE. GL2023 lacks adequate recommendations for the treatment of nonconvulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). Although electrographic seizure and electrographic SE may lead to brain damages, it remains unclear whether treatment of NCSE improves outcomes in children. We plan to address this issue in an upcoming edition of the guideline.

[Sublingual and buccal drug administration in medical emergencies]

Drug administration is crucial to achieve effective therapeutic drug outcomes. In medical emergencies, it is particularly convenient to use drugs that could be administered as an alternative to traditional routes (as oral or intravenous routes), that are not always suitable in these situations. Thus, sublingual and buccal routes offer an alternative to traditional routes, when a rapid onset of action is required. The main objective of this narrative review is to summarize the evidence for the use of sublingual and buccal drug administration in medical emergencies. The evidence obtained has been divided into four common scenarios found in the emergency department and intensive care units: cardiovascular emergencies, acute pain, agitation, and epileptic status. Moreover, the main advantages and disadvantages of sublingual and buccal routes are presented, as the future perspectives in the drug delivery field to overcome the limitations of these routes.

Conscious Sedation in Dentistry

Invasive dental procedures can be performed only with local anesthesia; in some cases, it may be useful to combine the administration of drugs to obtain anxiolysis with local anesthesia. Sedation required level should be individually adjusted to achieve a proper balance between the needs of the patient, the operator, and the safety of the procedure. Surgical time is an important factor for post-operative phases, and this could be greatly increased by whether the patient interrupts the surgeon or if it is not collaborative. In this manuscript some dentistry-used methods to practice conscious sedation have been evaluated. This manuscript could be a useful reading on the current state of conscious sedation in dentistry and an important starting point for future perspectives. Surely the search for safer drugs for our patients could have beneficial effects for them and for the clinicians.