Drug delivery into muscle using an autoinjector, akin to the EpiPen used to treat serious allergic reactions, is faster and may be a more effective way to stop status epilepticus, a prolonged seizure lasting longer than five minutes, according to a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

The investigators compared two medicines known to be effective in controlling seizures, midazolam and lorazepam. Both are benzodiazapines, a class of sedating anticonvulsant drugs. Midazolam was a candidate for injection because it is rapidly absorbed from muscle. But lorazepam must be given by IV. The study found that 73 percent of patients in the group receiving midazolam were seizure-free upon arrival at the hospital, compared to 63 percent of patients who received IV treatment with lorazepam. Patients treated with midazolam were also less likely to require hospitalization than those receiving IV lorazepam. Among those admitted, both groups had similarly low rates of recurrent seizures.

The study appears in the Feb. 16, 2012 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The Rapid Anticonvulsant Medication Prior to Arrival Trial (RAMPART) study was conducted through the NINDS’ Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials (NETT) network.