Historical vignette: Medical treatment of status epilepticus

Abstract

The treatment of status epilepticus has changed over the past five decades since the first colloquium on status epilepticus, held in Marseille in 1962. New intravenous drugs, such as valproate, levetiracetam, lacosomide or ketamine and new routes of administration, such as intranasal or bucal, as well as high-class randomized clinical trials in the prehospital setting and early stages of status have changed the field. However it is remarkable, how the basic principles and difficulties of treatment of status epilepticus have remained the same. This article is as a translation of a narrative review authored by Dieter Janz at the Marseille Colloquium 1962, published in 1967. The medical practice and all available treatment at that time have been reviewed critically in the article. The translation of the original French article has been kept as close as possible to the original, to give a detailed account on the treatment of status at that time. © 2013 International League Against Epilepsy.