Diazepam intranasal: una nueva estrategia para el tratamiento inmediato en la emergencia en pacientes con epilepsia

Introduction

Among the challenges associated with resistant epilepsy is the risk of presenting cluster seizures. Since most of these episodes occur outside the hospital setting, non-intravenous therapies are required that can be easily administered at home, in schools, or by medical or paramedical personnel in emergency services.

For this reason, it is essential to have alternatives that allow non-invasive, rapid and safe administration, which can be carried out by the patient themselves or their caregiver in any environment, and which facilitate rapid absorption of the drug. Within this alternative, the intranasal route emerges as an ideal option for the rapid administration of medications in medical emergencies, including grouped or prolonged crises.

Objective

The objective of this review is to describe the anatomy and physiology of the nose to understand why it is an ideal route for the administration of rescue medications, review the characteristics that a drug must have to be used by this route, and finally analyze data on safety and efficacy of the use of intranasal diazepam.

Conclusion

Intranasal diazepam has proven to be effective as an immediate rescue treatment for grouped or prolonged seizures, due to its easy administration, good absorption, low variability between patients and good social acceptance; Therefore, it is an appropriate and effective alternative for out-of-hospital use.